Harry Potter and the Grand Trainer Tournament
by Mr. Chaos
Summary: Book 4 of the Harry Potter Pokemon Master series. When Harry learns Hogwarts is hosting The Grand Trainer Tournament, he is excited to meet new trainers from around the world. But when someone plots to use the tournament to kill him, Harry decides to take matters in his own hands and become more proactive. This new attitude leads him to new allies: Jack Kenway and the Sons of Johto
1. The SS Sara

"Orion, use Water Gun!"

The little Piplup nodded, firing off a thin yet strong stream of water from his beak. Any pride the water-type might have felt in his attack faded when the Quilava he was facing refused to do the decent thing and faint after the first strike. Orion glared at the Potter Family Pokémon, waving his stubby wing at Firebolt and chirping his displeasure.

"Come on now, you can't expect him to go down so easily just because of the type advantage!" Harry said with a laugh. Turning his attention to his other Pokémon, Harry shouted, "Firebolt, use Fire Quills!" The Quilava rushed forward, leaping a few feet in front of Orion and doing a back flip. The moment the fire pores on his back were pointed at the Piplup Firebolt shot off several fire-hardened shards of bone. The super-heated quills struck Orion, causing the Piplup to tumble end over end. It was Firebolt's turn to be pleased... and his turn to get annoyed when Piplup stood up, eyes narrowed in determination. His little wing easily broke the quills, sending them tumbling to his feet. "And you can't expect to win through sheer strength," Harry gently teased Firebolt.

"Toki!" Togetic called out from the sidelines, waving her pom poms. The rest of Harry's Pokémon were spread out on the edge of the homemade arena and it was clear from how they acted that they were, in their own way, rooting for their chosen champion. Togetic and Ludwig the Litwick were rooting for Firebolt (Ludwig honoring a fellow fire-type while Togetic stuck with the candle that was her best friend) while Hedwig the Hoothoot and Eevee cheered Orion (as they felt, like Orion, that Firebolt was trying to take their spot of glory beside Harry; Orion was trying to do the same thing but they overlooked this hypocrisy for the moment). Dobby the Alakazam had refused to pick, choosing to wear a shirt that bore a picture of both Pokémon hugging each other; Harry wagered Dobby had teleported to Luna's to get that particular item. Zygarde merely basked in the sun, occasionally opening an eye to see what everyone was excited about before drifting back to sleep.

Summer was in full swing in Avalon and everyone, be that human or Pokémon, was enjoying the few short months of warm weather before the cold returned with a vengeance. It was quite common for Harry to spend much of his day out in the sun, running around and training with his Pokémon. He'd never been allowed to just have fun in warm weather; the Dursleys tended to make him stay inside during the summer and only gave him outside chores in the dead of winter. The exercise he was now getting had helped Harry finally do away within the last bit of pastiness and scrawniness that had plagued him since he'd left his Uncle and Aunt's. Harry now sported a nice tan and had filled out a bit with lean muscle; he wasn't a bulging bodybuilder but he didn't look like a twig anymore. The last few weeks had also seen all his Pokémon grow stronger and for the most part the other Pokémon had supported each other in their training.

The only bump in the road had been when Firebolt evolved. Harry had known that Firebolt would most likely be the first. Ludwig, according to Prof. Snape (Harry couldn't bring himself to call him Uncle Severus and Snape had admitted that he'd probably shudder at the name if Harry did use it), needed another year before he would evolve. Dobby and Zygarde couldn't evolve and Totemic couldn't reach her final form until Harry managed to get a Shiny Stone. Harry had thought that Eevee might evolve but Speaking with him revealed that Eevee wasn't quite ready yet. Eevee had told Harry two weeks earlier that he sensed that this would be the year but the time simply wasn't right for him to take that step. All Eevee knew was that he felt in his heart that he would evolve on his own without the need of an evolution stone; considering the cost of getting one made Harry quite glad Eevee was taking a different path.

Thus, it hadn't been a surprise to anyone when Firebolt had evolved into a Quilava... except for Orion. The Black Family Pokémon had seen it as an insult that he hadn't evolved yet (especially when a FIRE type had beaten him to it) and had taken to being rather passive-aggressive whenever Firebolt was around. It was little things, like getting the Quilava's food wet or squawking in his ear when he was just about to fall asleep. Firebolt, for his part, would use his new bulk to shove the Piplup about. When Harry had found his fire Pokémon sitting on Orion he'd decided to have the two battle each other so they might be able to work out their tensions.

"Guys, come here," Harry called out, motioning for Orion and Firebolt to walk over to him. Sirius had been utterly annoyed at the lack of a training area at Remus' house and thus decided that if Harry's guardian refused to provide for the boy a place to battle with his Pokémon then it was up to his godfather to correct that injustice. Harry and Remus had spent two days talking Sirius out of building a state-of-the-art training facility for him (Sirius' plans would have put to Pokémon League to shame) and in the end Sirius had agreed to simply go with a courtyard design that could double as a tennis court.

"Pip?" Orion asked as Harry knelled down, placing a hand on each of them.

"Quil?"

Harry smiled. "You both did good out there... not great, but good." The two Pokémon clearly didn't know how to feel about that comment and Harry fought back a peel of laughter as he stared at their confused faces. "You both battled your hearts out but you also made key mistakes." He looked over at Firebolt. "Just because you evolved first doesn't mean you can use brute force to win every battle. You have to be cunning. Yeah, I know, that doesn't sound very 'Gryffindor'..." Firebolt nodded in agreement, "but there is more to life than blind courage."

Orion looked pleased with his rival getting a dressing down but when Harry turned towards him the Piplup gulped. "As for you, you're so sure that type advantage will win that you don't fight like you should. You won't always be the favorite in a match and when that's the case you need to fight like an underdog." He looked the two over and seeing that his words had hit the mark nodded to himself. "I am proud to have both of you on my team... never forget that." Seeing the two puff up a bit with pride Harry smiled and pulled out their Pokéballs. "Ok guys... return." He glanced over at the others and did the same, leaving only Hedwig and Dobby out. The Alakazam remained out as Harry needed him to go grab his luggage. As for his Hoothoot, when she'd become Harry's pokemagnus partner the energy from the bonding had shattered Hedwig's Pokéball. Their bond was forged in something stronger than a Pokéball. Now, like Padfoot and Mooney, Hedwig stayed with Harry at all times.

"Pronglet, you out here?" Sirius called out. The Head of House Black emerged wearing a simple yellow dress shirt and black slacks, a pleasant smile gracing his lips. Harry had noticed that ever since Sirius had moved next door of him and Remus the old Marauder always had a smile plastered on his face. It wasn't a smirk or a cunning grin or a sinister twitch of his lips that spoke of danger and adventure. No, it was a quiet smile, one that spoke of contentment and inner peace. Harry knew it wasn't just the sight of him that did this for his godfather; he understood that for Sirius he had, at long last, found his way to a place he could call home, surrounded by those he loved and cherished.

"Yeah! Just wrapping up one last training session," Harry called out, Hedwig circling him as he made his way towards Sirius' house. "Dobby is getting my suitcases ready."

"Good," Sirius said, clapping the boy on the back. "I want to get a move on... want to be in our cabin and all settled before the boat takes off."

Harry chuckled. "Remus wanted to leave hours ago."

"Remus is a fussy old bitty," Sirius said simply. "Come on; let's go before he begins pacing."

As he followed after his godfather, Dobby and Reuniclus psychically carrying the luggage, Harry couldn't help but mentally thank Prof. Dumbledore. When the old man had suggested that Sirius take Harry on a trip to Johto to see the Gauntlet World Championship the teen had only hoped for a few days visit before returning back to Avalon. Sirius had come up with a much bolder scheme: a massive 3-week event that would have Harry, Sirius, and Remus journeying through the cities of Johto. Harry's birthday happened to land right in the middle of the trip and Sirius had merely said that he had some big surprises for his godson. Harry had been concerned that Sirius was spending too much money on him, especially after he'd bought the beach house, but the Marauder had waved off such fears.

"You keep forgetting that I'm the Head of House Black," Sirius had said with a smirk. "The Blacks have quite a bit of wealth; I figure they spent enough supporting Voldemort the least I could do is spend just as much supporting you!" When Harry hadn't been fully convinced Sirius had dropped the other shoe. "Also, as one of the commanders of the Sons of Johto I am going to get a lot of discounts and freebies."

Harry's smile lessened slightly as Sirius and him walked over to Remus, who was standing with Padfoot and Mooney looking utterly cross that godson and godfather had taken so long. As they neared the ship Harry couldn't help but feel a twinge of nerves. He'd been nervous going to Johto, remembering well the footage Ginny and the rest of his friends had showed him of the attack on Oroku Koga. He still found it hard to believe that Sirius was part of the Sons of Johto… that he'd killed. And now he was going to a region that was ruled by the men and women many people in the world thought of as being on the same level as team Rocket and Team Nocturne... the only difference being that the Sons had won.

"The good ol' S.S. Sara!" Sirius said with a grin as the group turned towards the dock and spotted their ship. "Now this is the only way to travel!"

"If by travel you mean cling to the rail for dear life while praying you don't get thrown overboard then yes, you are right," Remus groused.

Sirius gave his friend a mock gasp. "Don't tell me you're still prone to seasickness!"

"You now I am," Remus growled, eyeing the ship warily as if he were scared the thing would suddenly grow teeth and try to bite him. "I still don't see why couldn't have flown."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "The only major airport is in Western Johto right near Goldenrod. I want us to come near New Bark so we can travel the region. We take a plane and we are already a day's drive away from Olivine, which would make the whole point of this trip redundant. Now stop being a baby!" He showed his tickets to the porter, who quickly nodded and collected their luggage from the Pokémon. "Come on!" Sirius said, grabbing Remus and Harry's shoulders and giving the two a shake. "This is a hydrofoil! It will have us in Johto by tomorrow! It will go by so quick you won't have time to get sick."

~MC~MC~MC~

"I...urggg... hate you," Remus moaned, clinging to the toilet like it was a long lost love returned home.

Sirius merely rolled his eyes. "We haven't even reached top speed yet!"

"Merlin help me," Remus whimpered before going through another dry heave.

Harry listened to all of this in disgust. Their room was quite spacious and was made up to look like a hotel room. They each had a nice full size bed, the ship's satellite allowed them to watch any program from any of the regions, and the large angled window allowed him a wonderful view of the ocean. Wailords were occasionally breaching as the S.S. Sara picked up speed, skimming the water as she hurdled towards Johto. Harry had downloaded some info on the boat and had learned that the ship was able to achieve its great speeds by keeping most of its hull out of the water. This made it very fast but Harry had learned that if the waters got rough it could mean they'd end up with a VERY bumpy ride. He glanced over at the bathroom; while he couldn't see Remus retching he could certainly hear him and Harry was rapidly discovering that while he didn't get sea sick the sound of others doing so definitely didn't help matters.

"I'm going to walk around," Harry said, Hedwig hopping over to join him.

"Good idea!" Sirius said. "Why don't you see where the dining room is, that way-"

"UUURRRGGGGGGGG!"

"Oh, that didn't sound good," Sirius said with a grimace. Remus' hand shot out of the bathroom and flipped his friend off before he returning to cuddling the while porcelain.

Harry quickly made a beeline out of the room, Hedwig flying onto his shoulder as the two made their escape. The S.S. Sara wasn't the size of the super cruise liners like the S.S. Anne but it wasn't a tugboat either. The four non-cabin floors that were open to the public had many shopping centers, a small indoor pool (do to its speed only the crew was allowed to go to the top deck and even then it was only in emergencies), an arcade, 3 restaurants, a Game Corner, and many lounge areas. Harry had already decided to pass by the shops, deciding that he'd rather save his money for Johto then waste it all on the ship.

Stepping into the elevator, Harry considered just what he should do with his time. He was in no mood for a swim and he wasn't that hungry... especially after Remus' conversation with the loo.

"Hey hey hey!"

Harry leapt back in shock as a sword slid between the elevator doors, stopping them just before closing. He took a step back, eyes wide, as the blade wiggled a bit before the doors realized something was in the way and parted. Harry found himself pressing his back against the elevator's back wall when he saw that the sword was hovering in the air by itself.

"Thank you, Xena," a young woman said, sliding into the elevator. "Sorry about that," she said with a smile, light brown eyes twinkling with mirth. "I'm guessing from the wide eyes you've never seen an Aegislash before?"

"Nuh uh," Harry said, hating that he felt like such a dolt. He was trying to muster up some words to say to the young woman but his near impaling had left him tongue-tied. It wasn't often that one had a ghostly sword pointed at them.

It didn't help that the new arrival was very attractive. She was wearing a pair of low-slung jeans that hugged her hips and a set of strappy sandals. The pants weren't the only things that were clinging to her frame, as the belly-baring top looked as if it would burst apart if she took too deep of a breath. Her entire outfit allowed Harry a chance to see a lot of tanned smooth skin. But this was no stick-thin supermodel; no, the strange girl was strong, with well developed legs and arms and a flat tummy with just the hint of ab muscles. Her long hair may have been a light brown at one time but the same sun that had left her a healthy bronze had also lightened her hair to a dark blonde.

"Avalon, right?" the young woman asked. "I can tell. They don't have Aegislashes there. My father explained it to me once but honestly I wasn't paying attention." She gestured towards her Pokémon, who had slid onto her back and shut her eyes. "Honestly, if it isn't a Steel type I tend to forget the minor details."

"You're not from Avalon?" Harry asked, all at once wincing at how dumb that sounded. He could tell that from the way she spoke, as every word had the lilt of her words that she was a native Johtoan.

The young woman didn't show any sign of annoyance at his stupid question, much to his relief. "Nope. Never even been. Avalon only recently was friendly with Johto so my parents won't let me go until they are sure it is safe... especially on my own." She chuckled as the elevator dinged and the both stepped off onto the top floor. "Took too much time convincing them to let me visit Kalos by myself and they are Johto's allies!"

Harry nodded; he remembered being told at some point that after the Johto/Kanto War the regions had been divided. Unova and Kalos had signed treaties with the newly freed region and begun open trade with them. Other regions, such as Sinnoh, had sought to block any recognition of the new Johto Government. It had taken a lot of bartering before Johto had been viewed as a legit region.

"What made them finally decide to let you go?" Harry asked, walking over to a table at the front of the ship. To his delight his new friend joined him, motioning for a waiter.

"I told them that they both had traveled during the summer when they were my age... hell, they had been younger! Can I get a milkshake? Strawberry. A two pokepuffs for my Aegislash."

"And you sir?" the waiter asked.

"Same but chocolate. Only one puff though."

The young woman clicked her tongue as the waiter left. "Oh, how very disappointing."

"What's that?"

"I was waiting for you to order the same drink as me then we'd be able to compare notes on other ways we are similar. That would have broken the ice and allowed us to discover more about each other. A pity."

Harry, rather than once more become tongue-tied, instantly fell into the same back and forth he shared with his friends. "Maybe I did it because I want us to compare differences."

"Ah, now that's a clever one." The waiter returned and handed them their shakes. "Thank ya." She dipped her spoon into the frosty goodness and watched Harry from hooded eyes. "So, what brings an Avalon boy to Johto?"

"My godfather and my guardian are taking me to the Gauntlet Championship."

His companion raised an eyebrow. "Coming a bit early for that, aren't ya?"

Harry laughed. "We're going sightseeing. Sirius is hooking us up in some pretty exclusive places-"

"Sirius?" the young woman said, leaning forward. "Sirius Black? The Lord of Sevii?" Harry nodded and the girl clapped her hands. "Damn, now this is a small world!"

"You know him?" Harry asked. "I mean you know him as in personally... not in a 'I've heard his name before...' sort of... oh Merlin, I'm rambling like Luna."

The young woman took pity on harry and didn't laugh to hard at his fumbling. "Yeah, I know him personally." She took a moment to slurp up some of her milkshake before considering Harry, sizing him up. "You honestly don't know who I am, do ya?"

"Should I?" Harry asked, assuming she was merely joking.

The teen just shook her head, a look of utter delight crossing her features. "Oh, now this is wonderful... it really is. This is Winter Solstice and Freedom Day all rolled into one!" She casually rested her head in the palm of her right hand, her index finger extended and idly running along the edge of her ear. "It's been a long time since I've met someone who didn't know who I was." Her eyes drifted down and to the right and Harry followed her eye line. He gave a start and the young woman smirked. "Ah... finally noticed it, did you?"

Harry's gaze could not be pulled away from the sight before him. There, tattooed on her tanned wrist, was the letter J. He knew that tattoo well; Sirius had the same one on his wrist, marking him as one of the Sons of Johto.

"Hello," the woman said, extending her other hand, "I'm Jasmine Kenway."

~MC~MC~MC~

Author's Notes: Ladies and Gentlemen… welcome to Book 4!

This is the one I've been looking forward to. It may end up being the longest in this series, as I am just bursting to put so much stuff into it. I finally get to TRULY explore all the other regions. The cast is going to nearly triple in this book and we are going to get many cool new revelations.

Oh… its going to be a wild ride!

And thus we meet the daughter of the Pokémon World's most famous revolutionary: Jasmine Kenway, heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Ironside, protected child of the Ancient and Legendary House of Kenway. Based on the gym leader from Johto, Jasmine is an interesting example of taking what is established and embellishing it. To me, in the games, Jasmine is always young… maybe two or three years older than the main character (like here). She is young and sweet and caring.

This Jasmine? This is her at 16 going on 17 in her wild child phase. This is her pressing the boundries and seeing what she can get away with. This is also a Jasmine that's been raised by Jack and Clair, both of whom are not known for being subtle. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten who Jasmine is and I we will see her kind, loving side… this spunky, sassy Jasmine (who I would say has a bit of Buffy Summers in her) is just merely one facet.

Finally, the Avalon Pokedex will return next chapter as we start on the Water Trio of Avalon!


	2. The Law of the Jungle

"Oh, come on now, no need to be rude. Didn't you ever learn to shake a girl's hand when she offers it?"

Harry could only stare at the young woman, then back at the tattoo on her wrist. His mind was struggling to process the situation he'd somehow found himself in. He'd been worried about how he'd deal with being in Johto and had worried about running into a member of the Sons. Now he was having milkshakes with Jasmine Kenway, the daughter of Jack Kenway, aka the head of the Sons and the Father of Johto. It was like trying to avoid a dragon type then walking into a Dragonite's nest.

Jasmine wiggled her fingers. "Come on, if you don't want to shake I'll let you kiss the back of my hand. That's what pretty boys from Avalon do when they find fair maidens, right?"

"You're a fair maiden?" Harry asked before his eyes went wide, realizing what he'd just said. The jest had slipped out so easily that he couldn't stop himself from saying it.

Jasmine let out a laugh. "Well, if my ma has anything to say about it I am. She's all convinced I have to be prim and proper. 'You're da is king in every way save the title. That makes you a princess, my darling, and you must act like one!' Pssh!" Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Never asked to be a princess and they can't make me be one! Just like they can't force the crown on da's head!"

Harry nodded. "Right... maybe I should go before I start an international incidence-"

"You're afraid of me, aren't you?" Harry frozen in his seat and Jasmine leaned forward, studying him. "You've heard the stories about my da... all the things he's done and people that died by his hands and all you can wonder is if the apple didn't fall far from the tree. You see this tattoo-" she gestured at her own wrist, "-and you see a symbol of bloody upheaval and war. Tell me if I'm getting warm."

"And how should I see you?" Harry asked.

"Oh, all that will work. Pretty much all of it is true." Jasmine shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly, I can admit that there is even more to my tale and if you heard it you'd only be more frightened." She took a moment to suck down a good fourth of her shake and Harry, having nothing else better to do, mimicked her. "But here is the thing," she finally said, cutting the growing tension that had been building between them, "you are in no position to cast judgment."

Harry's brow furrowed. "Huh?"

"You're Harry Potter," Jasmine said. At his surprised look she waved him off. "Oh yes, we've heard about you and the rest of your lot and what you've been doing in Avalon. Mostly from Sirius; he loves to brag about you to my da. I'd say your own list is just as shiver-inducing as mine."

"How do you figure?" Harry asked.

Jasmine began to tick off her points. "You're a Pokemagnus who also, if your godfather is to be believed, has some Speaking ability." A pulse of energy seemed to radiate from Jasmine and Harry and Hedwig both tensed for a moment. Outside the ship the Wingulls that had taken to resting on the rails suddenly froze before returning to normal. "Now, I get Speaking... that makes sense. You're unrefined and have almost no training... but I can still feel a bit of the gift in you. But transforming into a Pokémon? Now that is weird."

Harry scowled at the idea that his Pokemagnus ability was 'weird' but Jasmine continued before he could protest. "You're afraid of me because of my da. A lot of people are frightened of you because of your godfather. Even ignoring the whole 'Lord of Sevii' thing and all the red in his ledger from the War... the Black family isn't known for being all cuddles and kisses. Even a rogue like Sirius isn't squeaky clean and you being his godson and being taught by him... well, that makes people nervous."

"But not you," Harry said.

Jasmine nodded. "I caught him singing David Bowie with a brush as his mic... nothing that man could do would scare me after that!" She jabbed her spoon in his direction. "But the point remains: we both have dangerous men as our guardians."

"Ok, that's true," Harry conceded.

"And then there is your extra curricular activities," Jasmine said with a smirk.

"What are you talking about?"

The young girl shot him a disbelieving stare. "Seriously? You captured a Zygarde... that ranks pretty big. Not many people see a legendary, let alone capture one. That's a lot of power for you to have in your bag."

"And all that makes you scared of me?"

Jasmine nearly choked as a bit of milkshake went down the wrong pipe. It took several moments for her clear her airwaves before she could answer. "Damn it, don't put words in my mouth!" She coughed a few times. "When did I ever say I was scared of you?"

Harry scratched his head. "Uh..."

"Ne-ver," Jasmine said. "My point is that people are scared of you just as you're scared of me. But that's stupid because you should only fear that which you know. Fearing the unknown is a waste of time... there are plenty of things right in front of you that you should tremble over."

"So... I should be afraid of you?" Harry asked.

Jasmine scowled but Harry could tell that she was amused. "You are either being cute or stupid. Either way, knock it off, m'lord."

"M'lord?"

"That's what you Avalonians are like, right? Bowing and simpering with lords and ladies. 'Tea and crumpet?' 'Try the scones' 'Jolly good!'. You know, all that rot."

"Just like Johtoians are all about booze and fighting?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"Well, my family doesn't drink but the fighting part is true." Jasmine sucked up the last of her milkshake while her Aegislash made fast work of the two pokepuffs she'd tossed her. "Well, it's been fun, m'lord, but I want to give the battle simulator on this tugboat another test run."

"I could battle against you," Harry offered. He didn't know why he offered that, as the last thing he wanted to do was face down her sword Pokémon again, but the words left his mouth before he could stop them.

Jasmine reached over and patted him on the cheek. "You're sweet, but I think I'll pass. We need to save something for the second date."

"...what?"

The Princess of Johto merely laughed as she strolled back towards the elevator, leaving Harry trying to figure out if she were screwing with him or not.

~MC~MC~MC~

The rest of the trip went by without any issues... or any more encounters with Jack Kenway's daughter.

Harry had told Sirius all about it and his godfather had taken great pleasure in egging the teen on. "Look who is dating an older woman!" Sirius had said with a laugh, slapping Harry on the back.

"But I shouldn't be worried, right?" Harry had asked.

"What, you think Jasmine will slit your throat? The girl is smart and cunning and yeah, she can fight better than most people in Avalon... but she isn't likely to pick you out and attack you without a really good reason. The Sons have a Code of Conduct and all of us adhere to it very closely."

"It's not her I'm worried about," Harry had stated, plopping onto his bed. "I'm worried about her dad."

Sirius had blinked at that. "...yeah, you'd best stay on your toes there if you're going to date Jasmine."

Harry had tried again and again to convince his godfather that he and Jasmine weren't a couple, shacking up, going steady, or a hundred other cute little pet names his godfather had come up with the brief conversation Harry and Jasmine had shared. Remus, who'd managed to finally pry himself away from the toilet, had finally growled that Sirius was just messing with him and Harry was merely feeding Sirius' humor. Harry had instantly seen that Remus was right and Sirius had let the topic drop... though he had done a little victory dance at being able to prank his godson for so long.

Harry out all those thoughts out of his head as they disembarked the S.S. Sara. The concerns he had about the Sons and about their leader's daughter disappeared as he took his first look at Johto. In front of him was the sleepy little town of New Bark, filled with rustic houses that were dwarfed by the large Pokémon Laboratory that sat in the middle of the village. Thick groves of virgin forests surrounded New Bark, creating a feeling of cozy enclosement. Despite having a port and being near a major waterway New Bark had never really grown out of its small town feel. Harry instantly got the sense that he'd stepped back in time.

A large green sign with gold trim stood off to his right and when Harry read it he found once more that the dichotomy of Johto presented to him:

NEW BARK TOWN

Founded in 1453, New Bark serves as the eastern

gateway of Johto. Named for the smooth bark

trees that surround it, New Bark is the starting

point for many trainers who begin their Pokémon

journey upon visiting the Johto Pokemon Lab.

New Bark was the sight of two major campaigns in

the Johto/Kanto War. On November 11th, 1984,

The Sons of Johto were forced out of New Bark by

Kanto forces. This would be the Sons' first major

loss in the war. New Bark was held by Kanto until

July 2nd, 1987, when forces under the commander

Tyrone Booth would take back New Bark. The

Second Battle of New Bark would mark the last time

Kanto would have a main assault force in the Johto

Region.

Harry turned away from the sign and stared across the Bay of Rebels (as the watery route had been renamed by the new Johtoian Government) and could just make out the fuzzy landmass that clung to the edge of the horizon.

"Kanto," Jasmine Kenway said, startling Harry as she moved beside him. She narrowed her eyes and spat on the ground in disgust. When she noticed Harry's shocked stare she rolled her eyes. "It's a tradition."

"What's a tradition?" Harry asked.

It was Sirius, who'd ambled over, who answered. "Every Son, upon entering New Bark Town, takes a moment to look across the Bay. We stare at Kanto and remember all that was done to Johto, all those that fell and died because of Kanto's hubris. And then we show them as much respect as they showed us." Sirius made a soft slurping sounding before spitting out a wad of phlegm right in Kanto's direction.

"Yeah, you sons of bitches!" Jasmine shouted, flipping off Kanto.

Sirius glanced at Harry as the young woman continued to curse out the other region. "Some show their disrespect more than others."

"She really hates Kanto, doesn't see?" Harry said.

"That she does," Sirius whispered as Jasmine continued to rage against Kanto. Harry was pretty sure she was creating half the curse words she was firing across the bay. If he wasn't so startled he would have actually found it funny. "Jasmine... Jasmine has her reasons."

"Of course I do!" the teen snapped. "Those bastards murdered my birth parents in cold blood! Couldn't even it do it like men, could you?" Jasmine flashed double middle fingers, a sneer on her face. "But my da showed you, didn't he? I'd say he ripped your balls off but we all know you don't have any!" A crowd had gathered but, to Harry's surprise, they were actually clapping and cheering as Jasmine ranted.

Sirius leaned in and whispered in Harry's ear. "She was 7 years old. Her mom and dad had gone to Pokémon League to try and keep things peaceful. There were protests back then… the first sparks of the war. People wanted more freedom, more say in the government. They peacefully protested against Kanto for control of their own destinies. And they were peaceful. No broken bottles being thrown at the Elite 4, no bursting through the barricades… nothing. They were springing up all over Johto, demanding that this region be given more freedom. Kanto was trying to create a full merge… make Johto no longer Johto but a part of Kanto. The people didn't like that and let the Elite 4 know it. Then Oroku Koga made the mistake that started the war."

"What did he do?" Harry asked as Jasmine took a breath.

"He twitched," Sirius said quietly. "That's all it was… a twitch. But his ninjas… his guard… they thought he was giving the signal to attack. They fired on the protesters. 47 people died… including Jasmine's parents… because the Kanto forces got sloppy." His eyes hardened as he stared across the waters. "Then… Jack arrived."

~MC~MC~MC~

_One instant. The single tick of a second hand on a clock. That was all it took for Jack's world to invert._

_He'd come to the Pokémon league not knowing what to expect. If it had been anyone else he would have told them to piss off; he was in the middle of a month long trek through the Dark Mountains, searching for a breed of Machoke said to know ice attacks. He'd already made a name for himself finding a Donphan herd that used Seed Bomb attacks, even adopting a Phanpy and raising it to maturity. The Ice Machoke, however, would ensure that his name remained at the top of the list of expert Pokémon Trackers. Even then, if he were going to leave his expedition, it would be so he could visit his fiancée rather than deal with the bureaucrats that ran the League. _

_But it hadn't been just anyone that invited him to the League. _

_"Tell me you'll say yes," Lance practically pleaded as they left the elevator and made their way through the great plaza of the Pokémon League. Nearly three stories tall, the glass-walled area was dominated by a massive statue that depicted a Charizard, Blastoise, and Venasur towering over all the trainers that entered the League. Jack looked at it and forced down his annoyance that there was no sign of Johto anywhere in the League's lobby. He had to keep telling himself that while that was currently the case, the future always held opportunities for change._

_Especially if he accepted Lance's offer._

_"I seriously doubt you've gotten approval for this offer," Jack said, stopping and leaning against a pillar, his arms folded over his muscular chest. He looked down and his smiled as Mumik, the little Phanpy he'd adopted happily marched around his feet, looking about at everything in the way only little ones could. "Do you honestly see me as a police officer?"_

_"I don't see you as an officer, Jack," Lance said with a smirk. "I'm not asking you to put on a blue shirt and go chasing after bad guys."_

_"Because you bloody well know I'd be damn sexy in that thing," Jack snarked._

_Lance did a full body shiver even as he fought back laughter. "Ha ha ha." The dragon master clapped his hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm asking you to lead those officers, Jack."_

_The 23 year old shook his head. "You want me to be a member of the Elite 4."_

_"I want you to be a member of the Elite 4."_

_"You want me to be in charge of Johto and Kanto's police force." Jack gestured at himself, as if silently saying 'have you taken a good look at me?'_

_"That is correct."_

_"...are you high?"_

_Lance laughed, slugging Jack in the shoulder. Mumik let out a squawk and bumped Lance's ankle, trying to stop him from attacking his trainer. Jack leaned down and picked his Pokemon up, cradling him in his arms. "No, I'm not, though I can see why you'd think so." Lance shook his head and sighed. "Listen... I felt the same way you do when I was selected a year ago. I was 22 years old and they wanted me to take of the International Relations Department. I was scared and shocked and I thought it might have been a joke but in the end I took the risk and it has been wonderful. But now I need you with me Jack."_

_The tracker glowered. "I'm not exactly a leader of men, Lance."_

_"You can be," Lance argued. He truly meant that. While Jack had always allowed Lance to be the face of their group when they traveled, everyone know that it Jack who was in charge. Jonas was Jack's little brother and thus use to working with his brother. Clair had been smitten with him; it was little wonder Lance's cousin was going to end up marrying the tracker. Cynthia and Diantha were independent and strong, of course, and no one would say those two were followers, but they also understood that of the six friends Jack had the most cunning mind and could get them out of jams best. "Listen, we both know things are getting tense. Hell, just look at the protestors out there." He waved at the mob of Johtoians that were jeering at Koga, who was trying his best to pacify them. "Instead of doing their work the Unspeakables are forced to babysit that unruly mob. They're upset with the changes-"_

_"As well they should be," Jack snapped. "Have you honestly heard some of the things the Kanto Prime Minister wants to do?"_

_"You mean our Prime Minister," Lance said, earning a glare from his best friend. "And yes, Minister Hogun hasn't done anyone any favors with how he's handled things. That's why they want you, Jack. Your father-"_

_"Who has been treated like garbage by their government," Jack snarled. "Don't think I've forgotten that. They were fine with us setting up a Safari Zone in Kanto but when we try to do it here we're told it would interfere with things... aka the Bug Catching Competition that's run by Kanto fatcats."_

_Lance rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Jack, please... we aren't going to make any progress if you cling to the past. Yes, what happened to your father sucked... so instead of taking a chance to actually change the system from the inside you'd rather just pout and let things go on?"_

_Jack was silent for a long time. "I wouldn't have to wear a damn cape, would I?"_

_Lance fingered the cape that was draped over his shoulders. "Hey, this cape-"_

_Screams ripped through the air. Several people in the atrium wailing and pointing outside. Koga was bellowing and waving his arms, his Elite Guard looking at each other in shock. __ Beyond them the protesters that had moments ago been waving their signs and chanting their slogans now laid upon the ground, poison bards and needles riddling their rapidly cooling corpses. Blood trickled from the wounds to the stonework, getting into every crack and crevice. The cries of the dying fill the air and yet none made a move to help them; everyone seemed frozen in place, unable to comprehend what they were seeing. _

_All save one._

_Jack slammed his fists against the glass door as he stared out at the devastation. Realizing that the building had gone into lockdown Jack set Mumilk down before he flicked out his wrists, his escrima sticks sliding into his hands. Without even a cry or bellow he swung at the door, sending glass raining upon Koga's back. The head of Kanto's Unspeakables whipped around but the sight of Jack's enraged and horrified face stayed his tongue. Jack leapt down the stairs to the tangled mess of bodies, reaching out for a person only to realize there was nothing he could do and he had to move onto the next. Lance moved to stand next to Koga and just stared, his hands trembling as he took in the devastation. Jack was on the move, his heart sinking as he came upon one lost cause after another._

_"What... what have you done?" Lance whispered._

_Koga could only stare at his men, his eyes glassy. "I... I don't know. I moved my hand... they must have thought I signaled for an attack-"_

_Jack's scream cut off any other weak words Koga might have offered._

_The young man crouched next to two forms, his face twisted in utter misery. He brushed his fingertips against his Aunt Laurel's cheek but her never-blinking eyes told all that she was gone. Barbs riddled her body, embedded in her chest and arms and one had even pierced her throat. Jack squeezed his eyes shut before turning his attention to his uncle. Oliver Ironside had received less damage than his wife but it was clear to Jack he only had minutes to go before he too succumbed to his injuries. Jack seemed to fall into himself as he stared down at his mother's brother, Mumik letting out a sad trumpet as he pressed himself against his trainer's side._

_"Jack..." the Olivine gym leader whispered, his arm trembling as he tried to raise it. Jack instantly clasped the man's hands in his own, squeezing them gently as he leaned down closer so he might better hear his uncle's final words. "Ja... Jasmine. Jack... my little girl... you have... to protect her..."_

_Jack blinked away tears, his next words leaving his lips before he could consider the ramifications of what he was pledging. All he knew was that he had to give this man some touch of comfort in his final moments. "Uncle Oliver, I'll do so much more than that. I'll take your place... I'll be a father to her and I swear she will never know a day where she didn't feel loved."_

_Oliver weakly nodded, the rise and fall of his chest decreasing with each breath. "Jack..."_

_"Yes?" _

_But no further words came. With a softly sigh, like an old man settling into his chair after a long day of work, Oliver Ironside, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Ironside, took his final breath._

_Everyone grew quiet. Jack dropped his head to his uncle's still chest and wept, his shoulders shaking violently as he sobbed. For three long minutes no one dared move or speak. It was only when Jack's shivers subseceded that Koga took a step forward._

_Jack's head snapped up, his tears and sorrow replaced by burning rage. He stood up, his family's blood clinking to his shirt, and his chilly eyes seemed to lock Koga in space and time, unable to breathe or blink or function so long as Jack stared him down. The young man hissed only a single word, so quiet yet forceful, and when the Poison Master heard it he looked as if he had been struck._

_"Murderer."_

_Lance snapped out of his daze and instead ran to his friend, grabbing his arm. "Jack, come on, we need to get inside." He tried to tug him forward but found that Jack would not budge. It was easy to forget, thanks to the long coat Jack tended to wear, that he tracker's body was made of nothing else but raw lean muscle. He didn't bulge like a bodybuilder or have cartoonishly broad shoulders and thick arms. No, Jack had a swimmer's build, with a lean hard muscle all along his form. He was steel wrapped flesh and when he didn't want to move no force could make him shift even an inch._

_"Why is that man not in chains?" Jack asked his friend. _

_Lance looked at Koga then at Jack. "We need to get inside, now. Koga's men will collect the..." Though he didn't say the word 'bodies' everyone instantly knew it was what he almost said. _

_"Haven't they done enough?" Jack snarled. _

_Lance tried once more to pull Jack towards the League building. "Jack, please... this will be settled, I promise you, but it has to be done carefully." He could see those words didn't pacify his friend and Lance hurried to clarify. "Jack... this is bad. Very bad. Protesters dead because of an Elite 4 member? This is the spark that could ignite a war. We've barely been able to keep these protests from exploding but this... this would do it. No one wants that. We need to work together here, to get our stories straight. We need to present a united front, for the good of the region."_

_"The good of the region," Jack said softly, looking down at his uncle and aunt's still forms. "Which one?"_

_"Jack?"_

_"Kanto? Is that who you are worried about?" He looked back at his friend and Lance could see raw rage mingling with Jack's tears. "Members of my family were shot down where they stood. They weren't protesting... they were trying to help you!" His voice grew stronger and the survivors of the protest, who'd been quiet and still during the aftermath of the attack, began to murmur to themselves as Jack spoke. "Oroku Koga murdered my Uncle and Aunt and all you care about is how it might hurt Kanto!?" He waved his arms about. "These are our brothers! Our sisters! Our family and kin! How the hell can you stand there and defend what that murderer did!"_

_Lance refused to be cowed. "That is my job, Jack. I am a member of the Elite 4... I have to think beyond the individual and think of the regions as a whole! I can't let my anger or rage or sadness get in the way of doing what I must for the good of Kanto AND Johto. And you are going to have to do the same thing too. This is a tragedy, I'm not denying that, but if we don't work together it will only snowball into a catastrophe! Koga and his men will be dealt with but it must be done delicately and with a soft touch. We need to all work together or things are going to collapse in chaos. Now... come inside." Lance turned his back and made his way up the stairs back towards Koga._

_It was only when he reached the top step that he found that Jack had not followed him._

_"Jack," Lance said, exasperated by his best friend. "You-"_

_"This... is the Law of the Jungle," Jack said, his voice soft yet firm as he reached down and collected Mumik. He paused, for only a moment, before he dipped his hand in his uncle's blood, coating his palm in it before standing up once more. Everyone had grown silent as he spoke, the surviving protesters quietly moving to stand next to the Pokémon Tracker. Lance, for his part, look utterly stricken as Jack spoke. "As old and as true as the sky."_

_"Jack, please..." Lance whispered._

_"The wolf that shall keep it may prosper... but the wolf that shall break it... must die." Holding his head up high, Jack swept his eyes across Koga and his men, seering each face into his memory. "As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, the law runth forward and back: For the strength of the pack is the wolf."_

_Jack took a step back, joining the mob that had swelled around the fallen, allowing himself to disappear within their ranks even as he spoke._

_"And the strength of wolf... is the pack."_

_~MC~MC~MC~_

Everyone had grown silent as Sirius told the tale and as the last words fell from his tongue, all of the native Johtoians bowed their heads in remembrance of the fallen. Without another word they departed, returning to their normal lives, leaving only Harry, Remus, Sirius, and Jasmine to stand by the shore.

"I don't understand," Harry said. "I thought the Law of the Jungle was kill or be killed."

"That is one version," Sirius said. "The other... the one Jack spoke... is a different law."

"And the Creed of the Sons of Johto," Jasmine said, her earlier anger gone and replaced by a respectful calm. She made no move to explain why her father had spoke the words or why they had affected Lance so much. "So... where to next?"

"Huh?" Harry said.

Jasmine wrapped a hand around Harry's arm. "Well, I was going to head straight home but wherever Sirius Black goes fun is sure to be close. I think I'll join you three!"

"You are just going to invite yourself along?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what makes you think we'll be ok with that?"

"I'm Jasmine Kenway," the young woman said, as if that were an obvious answer to Remus' question. "Now, who feels like pizza? I know a great little place just off west of here that makes the best pies."

"I think we should just smile and nod," Sirius said with a smirk to Remus as Jasmine dragged a flustered Harry towards the pizza place.

~MC~MC~MC~

Author's Notes: One of the things I like to do with these stories is experiment with structure. It can get boring, sometimes, writing chapters the same way, over and over, so having a chance to try something different is always fun. Book 4 is going to be a blast because I've decided to structure it much like The Godfather Part 2, in that every once and a while we'll go to a flashback… namely, the Johto/Kanto War. With so much of the next two books dealing with the Avalon Civil War, the Johto/Kanto War is a chance to showcase how a different region battled… and show the evolution of Jack, Lance, Jonas, Clair and Jasmine. They all play huge roles in the story now and I want you guys to understand them. Also, by seeing the past, we will get glimpses of what may come to pass for Harry… and what he may need to become to save Avalon.

The Law of the Jungle for the Wolves is a poem by Kipling that I love. Jack's version is VERY important and will be explored more later in the story.

And now… the return of the Avalon dex!

First up is Levitis. I am happy to include this one as this is actually one of the first Fakemon I ever created. It is a Water/Electric type and is based on the Tiger Shark. The basic form is a happy little baby shark with blue-green skin and yellow stripes that look like lightning bolts.

The evolved form, Tempetis, is a full-on shark. No stupid stunted Sharkpedo, no Garchomp that looks like a monster from Godzilla. Nope, this is a full on SHARK. The beast now has purple stripes along with the yellow ones, a mouth full of teeth, and electricity crackles around it as it swims about.

This line has an exclusive attack called Polaris Breach. The shark leaps from deep under water and strikes the opponent, sending them into the air. This move causes half its damage the first turn, and then does the other half the second turn, when the pokemon lands. This also sends the Pokemon in the air and thus stops ground moves like Earthquake while allowing better accuracy for moves like Thunder. While the opponent Pokemon is in the air physical and ground-based attacks are negated.


	3. The Gauntlet World Championship

Author's Note: WOW! Thank you all for the reviews! The first two chapters of this story are the most reviewed chapters of this series! One quick note though for Guest Reviewers: I'd love the answer your questions but, as guest reviewers, I have no way to reply. So please don't think I'm ignoring you.

~MC~MC~MC~

Harry popped up, his normally unruly hair for once hanging straight. This was less to do with him finally finding a way to actually get it to obey him and more because even his hair had to give in when submerged in the crystal waters of White Sand Grotto.

"Watch it!" Jasmine exclaimed from the inflatable pool chair she was sitting in, a pair of sunglasses on her face as she idly ran her fingers through the water. She'd brought them to this little known spot so they could relax and not deal with the crush of tourists that were flooding Johto. "Trying to work on my tan here!"

Harry cocked his head to one side. "You know, I still remember how you sent me tumbling into that mud pit yesterday."

"And I'll say again that was an accident." The young woman looked over at Harry and, seeing the same scheming gleam in his eye that Sirius so often had, waged her finger at him. "Don't you dare!"

"I won't," Harry said with a smile... right as Togetic and Hedwig swooped in and knocked Jasmine right into the water. The two fliers cackling in victory before zipping back up to the tree they'd decided to perch on.

Jasmine popped up after a second, glaring at Harry as she wiped the water from her face. "Oh, you are so dead!" Harry let out a laugh and began to swim away, Jasmine fast on his heels. Jasmine was trying to make it seem like she was angry but Harry could hear the laughter in her voice as she chased after him.

Despite the misgivings Harry had held about Jasmine joining them on their trek through Johto he found, now that the first week was done, that he couldn't imagine the trip without her. Yes, he had been annoyed that she'd basically forced her way into the group... until he learned that Sirius had actually asked Jack to provide them with a guide and Jasmine had volunteered to show them around. She added just a wonderful dynamic to their group that simply couldn't be duplicated. She got along with all of them; Remus had been quite startled to learn that in addition to battling and strategy Jasmine had studied classical literature at Olivine Point. She'd read Shakespeare and the Hoenn Epics and even done a research paper on the origins of Sinnoh fairy tales that had become rather vogue in academic circles. Remus, who was a bit of a bibliophile himself, had spent hours debating the meaning between the twin dragons of Unova and what Pokémon might have inspired the mythical beasts in the Odyssey.

Jasmine reminded Harry of a mixture of Tonks and Hermione but with her own twist on each. She was wicked smart and utterly playful but in ways that made her not feel like a replacement for either of his friends.

Most importantly, Harry had stopped thinking of her solely as 'Jack Kenway's daughter'. That wasn't to say that he forgot that she was dangerous; far from it, actually. Jasmine was able to throw a knife and spear an apple that was 20 feet away. He's seen her face down a grumpy Ursaring without even twitching and get the big bear to back down. Jasmine was freakishly strong and could move through the brush without making a sound. And then there were her eyes... every once and a while she would look at him and Harry would suddenly remember Zygarde's stare; it was the look of one that was an apex predator and knew just how much damage he or she could do.

And yet... there were just as many other times where she was just a normal person. She would laugh or crack a joke or spray herself with pop and it would suddenly be impossible to believe that she was a warrior prodigy that could kill without flicking an eyelash.

"Come on, you two!" Remus shouted from the shore line. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and a pair of slacks, a drink in his hand as he sat in the folding chair Sirius had bought. A large umbrella designed to look like a Great Ball was planted right behind him, keeping much of the sun off him. "Jasmine, I have to ask you not to drown Harry so close to his birthday!"

Jasmine, who'd been trying to shove Harry's head under, looked up at Remus and pouted. "But that is my birthday present to him."

"Drowning me is a present?" Harry asked, using her distract to swim away from her and towards the shore.

Jasmine shrugged. "It would be a quick and painless death. Considering the ways I could kill you-"

"Please don't joke about killing my godson," Sirius said, rising up from the section of the pool where he'd been swimming with Padfoot.

The daughter of Johto shielded her eyes. "By the Father, Sirius, warn a girl next time!"

"What?" Sirius asked, looking down at the super tight and super-revealing Speedo he was wearing. "Red's not your color?"

"That is going to replace the Wailmord in my nightmares!" Harry cried out, grabbing Jasmine's discarded float and trying to use it to block Sirius from his line of sight.

The marauder rolled his eyes as he stepped on shore, grabbing his towel and lewdly drying off. "Come on now, there are people that would pay good money to see this!"

"There are also people that are into hot Skitty-on-Wailord action but that doesn't mean I want to see it!"

"Yeah that's-wait, what?" Harry turned and stared at Jasmine. "How would that even work?"

"I honestly have no idea, I just know there is a market for it."

Harry let loose a full body shudder.

"It's best not to think about it," Remus said as he tossed the teens their towels.

"You know, if you hate it so much I could lose it…" Sirius said, grabbing the waistband.

"NO!" Harry, Remus, and Jasmine all shouted.

As Sirius pouted Remus handed the teens each a bag that contained their clothing. "Now that we stopped that disaster… hurry up and get dried off; we need to get going if we are going to reach the next stop on Harry's birthday surprise trail."

Harry grinned as he run the towel over his hair. Remus and Sirius had been going all out to make the last week an adventure and it appeared that they weren't close to stopping yet. Each day offered something new and exciting for the young man to be a part of. Their first day they'd toured Professor Elm's Pokémon Lab and learn all about the professor's work. Harry had gotten to show off Firebolt and Elm had become greatly excited; apparently Potter Family Typlosions were well known throughout the world and even in Johto, where Cyndaquils were more common than in most regions, to actually see a Potter Family one was a treat. The next day had them moving through the forests just outside of the town. Jasmine had happily told them all about the area's history, fulfilling her role as tour guide as they hiked the trail.

Harry had seen the wide range of things Johto had to offer. From the elegant moves of the famous Kimono Girls of Ecruteak City to red Gyarados of Lake Rage, Sirius and Remus had been sure to fill Harry's days with all manner of amazement and wonder. Sometimes things were loud of boisterous and left Harry wondering where the time had gone. Other days it was as if Johto had gone soft and still and he was allowed to experience every second the region had to offer at the slow pace of a water drop falling to the ground bellow. There close calls and exciting moments that would be grafted into his memory for all the rest of his days.

Yanking on his shirt, Harry tossed his wet trunks to Dobby; the Alakazam snapped his fingers and the trunks disappeared, sent off to wherever the little psychic deposited Harry's wet and soiled garments to be cleaned and dried. He looked over at Sirius, who had, thankfully, actually donned some pants, then at Jasmine who'd emerged from the bushes she'd been changing behind, only to do a double take when he saw what she was wearing.

"Uh..." Harry said, looking the teen up and down. Rather than her normal choice of tight pants and skin-revealing tops, Jasmine had decided to go with a simple purplish-white sundress and a pair of sandals. Had it not been for him knowing her so well after their week together Harry would have thought the teen before him and the one he'd been traveling with the last seven days were two completely different people.

"What?" Jasmine said, looking down at her outfit. "I felt like going for something different."

Before Harry could answer a woman stepped into the clearly and placed her hands on her hips. "If by different you mean that you knew I was coming and knew better than to wear those clothes you think I DON'T know about..."

"Mum!" Jasmine squawked. "Uh... hi?"

"Mum?" Harry said, an eyebrow raised as he took in the new arrival. The first thing that drew his attention was her pale blue hair, which served to make her cool, icy eyes look all the more cold. She wore a skin-hugging sleeveless bodysuit the same color as her locks, thigh-high boots, and a black waist coat with a hood. The woman who was now hugging Jasmine had a grace and strength to her that spoke the queens of old. She was a beauty that made people want to look away, ashamed of their own perceived ugliness when compared to her.

Jasmine nodded, remembering her manners. "Harry, Remus... may I present my mother, Clair Kenway, Lady of Olivine, Countess of Blackthorn, the Mistress of Dragons."

Clair Kenway smiled. "If you think that is a mouthful you should hear my husband's titles." Clair walked over to Sirius and kissed him on the cheek. "Sirius, you old scamp."

"Still in love with Jack?"

"Madly," Clair stated.

"Damn." Sirius turned towards his friend and godson. "Clair, may I introduce Remus Lupin and my godson-"

"Harry Potter," Clair said with a tiny smile. "Oh yes... we've heard of him." She walked over and shook Harry's hand. "Jack told me of your relatives... rest assure that Little Surrey will find no friend among the people of Johto."

Not sure quite how to respond to that, Harry merely nodded his thanks.

"Now then," Clair said with a smile, spinning on her heels and walking back over to Jasmine, glancing over her shoulder at Harry, "Sirius here asked me to pick up your next birthday surprise..."

"HARRY!"

The young teen's eyes went wide and a giant smile blossomed on his lips. "Ron!" His red-headed friend emerged from the brush he'd been hidden behind, followed shortly by Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna. Within moments the six friends were hugging each other and blabbering over one another about what they had been doing over the summer and how great it was that they got to be together again.

Remus smirked. "Told you he'd love his gift."

"Never doubted you for a second," Sirius said with a laugh. "I merely stated that he was going to prefer my gift to yours!"

"Dream on, mutt."

"Back at you, wolfie," Sirius shot.

~Several Days Later...~

"Merlin, this is amazing!" Ron exclaimed, his face pressed against the thick glass wall that dominated the skybox. "You can see everything!"

"Well,_** you**_ can," Ginny said, grabbing Ron and pulling him away from the glass. "The rest of us would like a look too so sit your butt down!"

"Come on, Gin!" Ron whined. "When am I-"

"Don't call me Gin!"

"-going to have this chance again?"

Harry shook his head as the Weasley siblings bickered. He glanced at Neville, who was enjoying some popcorn, and shared a smirk with his friend. As strange as some might think it... Harry had truly missed this. The playful fighting, the inside jokes and references that only they got, the ease in which everyone fell into place... the summer had been great but this was what had been missing.

He once more mentally thanked Remus and Sirius. They'd arranged for his friends to visit during the middle week of their three week vacation; the five would depart at the start of the final week, allowing Sirius, Remus , and Harry seven days together in Johto just relaxing before they had to head back to Avalon. They'd visited Goldenrod and done a ton of shopping and had a campout under the stars and now they were getting to watch the Gauntlet World Championship from the Kenway Family's private skybox.

"Thank you again, Mrs. Kenway," Hermione said politely as she took her seat.

Clair merely smiled. "Think nothing of it. I'd rather spend the day with Gauntlet enthusiasts than some foreign diplomat that was only looking to get in my husband's good graces."

"Where is Jack?" Sirius asked, helping himself to a hotdog and slathering it with mustard.

"They asked da to join the coach on the field," Jasmine stated. "Think it will boost moral or motivate the team or some crock."

"Or when the aliens arrive he can team up with Michael Jordan and battle them!" Luna said with a huge grin. She painted her face blue and silver (the Johto Gauntlet Team's colors) and had failed three times to get people to begin doing 'the chop'. "I believe I can fly! I believe I can touch the sky…"

Before anyone could question Luna on her latest insane statement the sound of guttural cries and the rumble of drums filled the air and the Sinnoh Gauntlet Team marched onto the field. Ron practically leapt onto the glass once again as he searched for one particular member of the Sinnoh team.

"There he is!" Ron exclaimed in utter delight. "Victor Krum!"

Harry, rather than strain his eyes looking down at the field, chose to focus on the TV monitor that was broadcasting the game live. There, looking resplendent in his tight black jacket and pants with gold trim, was Victor Krum. The Sinnohian Runner was the youngest Gauntlet player to ever compete in the world championship; he still had one more year at Durmstrang Institute before every single Professional Gauntlet team would get a chance at him. Many were shocked when they looked at the 17 year old, as he did not have the typical build of a Runner. But much of Victor's bulk was raw muscle and he, along with his Staraptor, were able to climb, jump, and race through Gauntlet arenas with ease. Everyone, even those in Sinnoh, knew that their team was only there because of Krum.

"Yeah, enjoy your wonder boy for now," Jasmine taunted, "but he's about to get his arse whooped by our boys!" Ron's retort was drowned out by the roar of the crowd as the Johto Gauntlet Team entered the arena. Trumpets and violins filled the arena with the steady march of the Johto National Anthem as the team took to the field.

"Well, they certainly know how to make an entrance," Remus said as the team marched in. Rather than go for skin clinging uniforms like their opponents the Johto team had gone with silver waistcoats over dark blue shirts and pants. They stopped as one, the wind in the arena making their jackets billow a bit before, as one, the team reached back and yanked over their heads dark blue hoods. The Johto fans went utterly silent as each member of their team raised his or her right hand and, turning towards where their coach stood, slapped their arm across their chest.

"What's the big deal?" Ron asked. He turned towards his friends only for his jaw to drop as Clair, Jasmine, and Sirius all mimicked the team. Harry leaned forward and saw that many in the crowd were now doing the same thing. From the team's bench a figure, dressed in a long brown coat and a red hood, stood and returned to gesture. Only when he'd sat down did the team and the fans relax. "Ok, someone explain to me what just happened."

It was Clair that spoke. "That, young man, was the salute of the Sons. The Gauntlet Team was showing their respect towards my husband, thanking him for honoring them by watching them from their bench."

Neville just stared down at the team as they began their pre-run warm-up. "Your dad is really respected, isn't he?"

Jasmine nodded. "My da is the Father... he saved us all from oppression and lifted us up into the light."

"Is it true that they wanted to make him king?" Hermione asked.

Clair nodded, smirking slightly. "Jack cursed for hours when he found out about that. He fought the war to free us from tyranny… he wasn't about to replace one tyrant with another."

"Were things really that bad under Kanto?" Ginny asked.

Clair's lips pressed together in a firm little line. "Imagine if Unova's Elite 4 and President suddenly marched into Avalon and dissolved your government, claiming that it was a redundancy. Better to just let them rule you. Get rid of your laws and set up theirs. Takeover all the public sectors because they clearly knew better than you." She looked over at Luna. "Your father is Xeno Lovegood, is he not?" When Luna nodded Clair narrowed her eyes. "How would you react if Unova took control of his paper because he dared to speak out against the Unovan Government? Not just his paper, mind you; it would be every paper and every Holocast and every TV station. The names would remain the same but new journalists would be brought in while the old ones were arrested for... inciting violence in the public. No trials, of course… that would be messy and might incite further fighting. No, they'd just lock him away and you'd never know where he went."

"CU!" Luna Jr. snapped, stepping in front of Luna and waving her bone club at Clair for scaring her trainer. Neville Jr. popped out of his ball and joined Luna Jr. in protecting 'the mistress'.

Jasmine took up the explanation. "How about something a bit more personal. When granddad opened up the Kanto Safari Zone no one said a word. Hell, Kanto was thrilled, as it brought tourists in. Da discovered rare Pokémon, shipped them to the Zone, and Kanto made money hand over fist. But when he tried to do the same thing here the Kanto Government threw a fit. They claimed that it would create unfair competition with the Goldenrod Bug Hunt... never mind that they were completely different things and hours away from each other." She crossed her arms over her chest. "They refused to hold new elections after they merged governments. Said that they'd been having elections every 6 years and we could wait until the new cycle. Never mind that during those first 3 years they began passing taxes on us without our say. To 'protect and improve us' my arse."

"Language," Clair chided.

"Sorry mum."

Hermione shuddered. "Sounds a lot like what Team Nocturne tried to do."

Clair, noticing the dark look on Harry's face, raised a single eyebrow. "You disagree?"

"No, not really," Harry stated. If previous comment brought any sense of relief his next blew that relief out of the water. "Just thinking that the Sons are as much like Team Nocturne as the Kanto Government."

"OI!" Jasmine shouted, leaping from her chair. "Where do you-"

"Jasmine!" Clair snapped. "Sit down and be quiet!"

"Mum-"

"SIT!" Clair commanded. Jasmine flopped back in her seat, alternating glares at Harry and her mum. "I apologize for my daughter… she has her father's temper and forgets that she is a Lady of Johto and should show proper respect." From the way Jasmine hunched over in her seat it was clear this was an argument she'd had with her mother before. "Now then, Mr. Potter... what made you come to that conclusion?"

Harry shifted. Every since he'd come to Johto he'd been thinking about this particular line of conversation. It bugged him to no end and in the heat of the moment he'd blurted it out. now, finding himself being stared down by not only Clair and Jasmine but a shocked Remus and a disturbed Sirius, as well as his friends, Harry figured if he were in for a penny he was in for a pound.

"I'm not going to pretend what Kanto did to you guys was right," Harry said, deciding to ease a little tension. "They were basically committing a hostile takeover and you guys didn't like it." He looked at Jasmine. "And what happened to your parents... that wasn't right. Even if it was an accident it sounds like Kanto wanted to cover it up. But just because horrible things happened to you doesn't mean you have the right to do horrible things to others. The Sons blew up buildings and murdered people and..." Harry gestured out the window, "and now you've basically deified the man that led the charge. I'm sorry, but if you change the face and turn the coat black that isn't Jack Kenway out there... that's Voldemort."

Jasmine looked ready to explode but one look from Clair kept the young woman from snapping. Instead the Lady of Dragons merely leaned forward, her chin resting in her hands as she stared at Harry, studying him intently. "You're right."

"Mum?" Jasmine said. Of all the things she'd expected her mother to say, that wasn't one of them. Her anger instantly deflated due to the shock.

"Our actions weren't heroic. We don't pretend for a second that we are pure white knights that rode in to save the day. We did things... dark things... to secure our freedom." Clair looked down at her hands. "Sometimes I wonder when we will be forced to pay back all the blood we spilled. One can not do what we did and not expect the Celestial Books to not demand something in return, to bring back the balance." She shook herself from her melancholy. "But let me ask you this... your lord Voldemort... would he have refused the title of king as my husband did?"

"No," Harry answered honestly. "Or if he had, it would be because he wanted a better title."

Clair chuckled. "Yes, I suppose that's right." Her laughter faded and she once more turned her cool, hard eyes upon Harry; it took all of Harry's willpower not to look away and he could sense that Mrs. Kenway approved of his strength. "Yes, we invaded Kanto. We blew up their gyms and government buildings. We killed officials. But any that stood down were spared. Not an innocent bystander was harmed. We did not steal Pokémon or forced a single person to part with their property. We frightened them, yes, but they were not our enemies. We understood that the common man… they did not speak for their government. And, most important of all... once we won... we left. None of us have any urge to take over Kanto. Just as Jack didn't fight to replace one tyrannical regime with another, so too did we not fight for freedom just to rob others of theirs. The Sons are not white hats... but we aren't black ones either." Clair turned her attention to the field and, after several moments, Harry came to believe the conversation was over. It was only when everyone else began to talk amongst themselves once more did she whisper for only him to hear, "But I suppose it will be up to my husband to change your mind."

Clair had no way of knowing that it wouldn't be Jack that would show Harry just how foul Team Nocturne was when compared to the Sons. No... that honor would belong to the group of men wearing black cloaks and gold masks who were currently hiding in the forest around the Gauntlet Arena.

"Sounds like a good match," one of the men said, eyeing the arena. "You sure we shouldn't hit them now?"

The man next to him fought the urge to smack him across the back of the head. "Our Lord gives us this task and your first thought is to go against his orders?"

"Of c-course not!" the first man said quickly. "I was just thinking-"

"You weren't thinking," a third figure snapped. "We rush in there now and we'll be dead before we can fire off the first attack. No... we stick to the plan. Let them drink to their hearts' content. When they stumble out into the darkness, weary and tired, we'll strike."

"Remember the Potter boy," the fourth member of the group, and the only female, said.

"We remember, sister, we remember. he will be dealt with." The third figure put his hand into the middle of the loose circle they had formed and the others quickly mimicked him. "For the glory of Team Nocturne."

"For the glory of Lord Voldemort!" the others responded.

~MC~MC~MC~

Author's Notes: Someone asked me what the inspiration for the Sons was. Believe it or not… it is the Sons of Liberty. I enjoy history and one of the things I find VERY interesting is the fact that the Sons of Liberty, for the most part… overreacted. The taxes that they so hated? They were created to help pay off the very war Brittan waged against the French to protect them. In fact, the Colonies paid zero to NO taxes before the Tea Tax and all that went into effect. And the representation in Parliament was perhaps their only true cause of complaint and even then there were better ways to handle that rather than just going "Screw it, let's go to war!". The Sons of Johto are modeled after the SoL… heck, that's where I got the flippin' name (I'm surprised no one picked up on that). And if you look at the Johto-Kanto War you'll really begin to see the comparisons; I won't name them here, as I'll let you guys dig them up.

Now, I find it rather interesting that I have two very small minorities complaining about the opposite things. One or two reviewers have complained that I haven't given enough info about the Sons. One or two other reviewers complain I spend too much time on them. The vast majority of you guys feel I hit the sweet spot and I am thrilled that I've pleased so many of you.

For those that want to see more than just Johto explored… its coming. Sinnoh, Hoenn, Kalos, Unova, and Kanto will all be explored in this book and in later parts of the series. All I ask for is patience.

For those of you that love the Sons… I'm thrilled. I've enjoyed creating them. All that hate them and see them as violent monsters who started a war just because Koga and Lance made a mistake… I'm thrilled. The Sons are SUPPOSE to be polarizing. They are going to do horrible things at times… monstrous, cruel, evil things. And I expect some of you to hate them… just as some will cheer and scream in delight and wish I had more of this type of stuff. The Sons are the balance between Dumbledore and Voldemort's groups and if I do things right… I'll have some hate them, some love them, and the majority going "Wow… can't wait for next chapter!"

Now, Sinnoh's National Anthem is the Dumstrang Theme from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire film. Johto's National Anthem, as I mentioned way back, is the Hikari Kingdom Orchestra from Kingdom Hearts, starting at 1:48 (the first half of the song, up to 1:21 is actually Jasmine's Theme, while the middle section, 1:21 to 1:48, is The House of Kenway's Theme).

The National colors of the regions have been fun to come up with. I decided that they would be based on one or more Legendaries from the region. Sinnoh's is Black and Gold for Giratina, while Johto's is Silver and Blue for Lugia. We will see the other region's colors (and theme music) later in the story.

I know there will be a few people upset that there wasn't much action in this chapter. Don't worry… next chapter makes up for it. There will be Pokémon battles, heads bashed in, blood soaking Johto's soil and Luna making Hellsing references (maybe… possibly… I honestly don't know when it comes to Luna).

Now then, the Avalon Dex! Continuing with the Water Trio of Avalon we have our Water/Fairy Pokémon which FINALLY gives us a dolphin! All that is missing is a name for both the basic and evolved form, so please head over to the Avalon Dex (link found on my main page) and then submit in the reviews a great name for this new Pokémon!


	4. Dark Salvos

"Look at Krum go!" Ron cheered. Jasmine cleared her throat and Ron had the decency to blush. "Uh... not that the Johto team isn't doing good..."

Harry was perched on the edge of his seat, his eyes hardly blinking as he shifted his gaze back and forth from the TV to the arena below him. For the championship match the World Gauntlet Federation had decided to go with a completely unique stage, rather than mimicking a famous battle or landmark. Missing was the mock stone or faux rock that Harry was use to seeing during a match. In its place were thick yet shocking clear panes of clear plastic that created a twisting, mind-tricking 7-story tower. At first Ron and Ginny had complained that this, while making it easy for the audience to view, reduced the challenge of the course, as the two teams could easily see every trap and flag, as well as the Runner's goal. Five minutes into the match and the Weasleys were singing a different tune.

The plastic was so clear that it was nearly impossible to tell it was there. The two teams quickly found themselves running into walls... or worse, believing there was one between them and an opponent only to learn that they were both in the same room. Traps would be set only for the trapper to walk right into it, not realizing how close or far away it was. One member of the Sinnoh team had thought she'd fallen out of the tower only to realize she'd slid down onto bridge that connected one side to the other.

The Johto team was the first to try and find a way to beat the system; their captain's Quagsire firing off Mud Bomb attacks that quickly marked the floors and walls. The Sinnoh team soon joined in and the great tower quickly became a patchwork of clean plastic and splattered gunk. Luckily the mini cams were still recording and giving the audience shots of the action.

Krum, through all of this, was working his way through the tower. The Johto team was doing their best to hold him up but the Runner was making good progress; within the first hour he'd managed to make it halfway up the tower.

"Oh, there is no way Johto can win now!" Ron said with a laugh. "Their Runner has to help try and slow Krum down!" Ron let out a whoop as, moments later, Viktor Krum and his Staraptor found a shaft through which they could quickly fly to the final story. "He's almost at the top! Viktor Krum is the man!"

"Yes," harry said, leaning forward, "and that's why Johto's going to win."

Jasmine, though still mad at Harry for insinuating that her father was no different than Lord Voldemort, glanced at the teen then back at the tower. "You noticed it too?"

"Yeah... brilliant strategy."

"You think Viktor realizes what is happening?" Jasmine asked.

"I don't think so... if he did he'd have slowed down."

Ron looked at the two as if they'd suddenly turned purple with blue spots. "What are you two going on about?"

Harry, his eyes never leaving the Gauntlet stage, explained. "How do you win a Gauntlet Match?"

Ron opened his mouth, the words 'the Runner gets to the finish before your opponent' on his lips. But no sound came out as it dawned on the red-head exactly what Harry was getting at. He glanced at the score displayed on the massive Jumbotron screen, Johto's score of 50 to Sinnoh's 205 glowing brightly and holding his gaze almost hypnotically.

"You win by remove the most points from the board," Jasmine said, filling the silence as, one by one, everyone in the viewing sweet clued in on Johto's strategy. The game ENDS when you either hit zero or a Runner gets to the finish."

Ron gaped in shock. "They... they didn't care about their Runner? But... but..."

"He removes the most points?" Ginny asked. "Doesn't matter if the gap is too big."

Harry shook his head. "It is more than that, Ginny. Look at the Johto team... they're pushing Krum to the finish."

Inside the structure Viktor found himself suddenly being attacked from the rear. He ran a few steps for the finishing spot, only to slowly come to a stop as it dawned on him what was happening. By then it was too late; three members of the Johto team had him pinned, forcing him and his Staraptor to take one step, then another, and then another, towards the box. Viktor tried to push back, to find a way through the attacks they were throwing at him, but every step forward ended up forcing him two steps back. The Sinnohian Runner's head dropped as his foot crossed the line, alarming going off throughout the structure.

Luna leaned on the edge of her seat. "Do you believe in miracles? YES!" She leapt up, Jasmine joining the little blonde in performing a happy dance. Sirius quickly ran up to them and the three formed a conga line, happily dancing around the skybox.

The reaction down in the stadium was utterly amazing. The Sinnoh Team and their fans were celebrating, hugging each other and cheering, only to look at their Johtoian rivals and see that they were just as excited. Slowly, one by one, each person looked at the scoreboard and realized what it said. Some stared at it blankly, trying to comprehend what had happened. Others assumed it must be a mistake and booed and waved wildly at the screen, their cries of disapproval drowned out by the cheering of the Johto Fans. The Sinnoh team dropped their heads and Krum actually began to cry even as the scoreboard revealed that he had broken the record for Fastest Runner in a National Championship. The captain of the Johto Team approached the Sinnoh Captain and, after offering the heartbroken man a hug and well wishes, turned towards the crowd and began to sing the Johto National Anthem, large pockets of fans joining in.

_"Far away the hills of Johto call. They sing of home, for one and all. T'were drove away...we could not stay... but we shall free... our fought for home..."_

~MC~MC~MC~

"Come on, Ron, stop pouting," Hermione said, patting the red head on the shoulder as they made their way out of the stadium. The Gauntlet Stadium had been built just outside of Goldenrod on a large plain surrounded by dense grooves of trees. The attendees slowly made their way out of the stadium, spreading out through the forest as they made their way either back into town or towards one of the many campgrounds littered throughout the forest. "You're not even a fan of Sinnoh!"

"I know," Ron said, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He kicked at a small stone, watching it tumble off into the darkness. "But I still say Johto didn't play fair."

"I'd say we played more than fair," Jasmine said, stretching her arms over her head. She let out a purr-like rumble as she did so, giving her an even more feline appearance. "The Sinnohians failed to remember the rules and they loss, simple as that."

"Jasmine, be nice," Clair chided.

"But it's not fair!" Ron complained. "Viktor Krum got the record but now everyone will feel like he only got it because of Johto!"

Neville frowned. "But... if Johto had been really bad wouldn't the same thing be true? I mean, the last Runner to hold the record only got it because he beat a lesser team."

"That's... well... it's different! I don't know why it is different but it is!" Ron huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, making it clear he would not be swayed.

"Let's just all agree that Johto won but Viktor was really good," Remus said, trying to play diplomat.

"So good he should have won," Ron mumbled.

Clair smiled, placing a comforting hand on Ron's back. "Sometimes life forces us to deal with things that seem unfair. People who should win lose and others who should never taste victory achieve greatness. The best we can do is accept the bad and work to make sure that it never happens again." Ron mumbled something and Clair merely shook her head in good humor. "Look at it this way, Mr. Weasley... Viktor will learn from this. He'll never fall for that trick again and now he is going to work VERY hard to make sure the next time he breaks a record it is all him."

"Yeah... yeah!" Ron said, warming to that thought. "And then, when he joins the Tor Town Tauros-"

"He is never joining the Tauros," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"-he'll be ready and win a ton of awards and championships! It's going to be a blast!"

BOOM!

The world exploded around the group, each of them flung in all directions as dirt flew in the air and the concussive blast sent them flying. This was the first of many explosions that engulfed the forest, turning the revelry and excitement into terror. Harry and his friends found themselves tossed about as one explosion struck after another. The screams of spectators filled the air and trees cracked and broke as Voltorb-driven explosive traps activated, lighting up the dark sky and engulfing the forest in utter destruction. Soot, smoke, and kicked up dirt created a dense fog that choked the lungs the burned the eyes of anyone who hadn't been knocked unconscious by the blast.

"Uuuuggghhh," Neville moaned after a few minutes, slowly dragging himself up. He had been one of the lucky ones; the blast that had hit his group had been far enough away that it only sent them flying, scattering them about. Neville slowly rose, eyes blinking as he tried to clear the ringing from his head. Looking around he found the moaning, twisted forms of those that had been closer to the blasts, burns and oozing wounds covering their torsos and limbs. Neville knelt down next to a woman in her forties, checking her over before looking around with wide eyes. "Guys? Guys?" He cupped his hands over his mouth. "HARRY! HERMIONE! RON! ANYONE?!"

"NEVILLE!" Ginny shouted.

"Ginny!" Neville called out, hurrying over to the girl. Ron was supporting her, his arm wrapped around her and half dragging her across the body-strewn forest. One of Ginny's eyes was swollen shut and it looked like she had rolled around in a dirt mound. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Ron said, looking about at the damage. "There was a blast..."

Ginny mumbled something and Ron shifted her slightly. The pain was slowly coming back to her and making her feel sleepy. "The... the others..."

Neville shook his head. "I have no idea where everyone else is. You are the first two I found."

Ron nodded. "Harry! Mr. Lupin!"

"Mr. Black!" Neville called out.

Suddenly laughter echoed all around them but it offered no sense of relief or joy. It was a mirthless sound; the laughter of the wicked come to prey upon the broken and beaten. Neville and Ron instantly went for their Pokéballs, moving to protect Ginny. They could hear some people's screams growing higher in pitch and Neville swallowed, his right hand twitching slightly.

"What is it?" Ron whispered, noticing the way Neville seized up. "What's is that? Why are they screaming like that?"

Neville forced himself to look ahead. "That... is the sound of someone being hit by the Cruciatus Attack. It... it is one of the Three Banned Attacks because it is not designed to cause damage... only pain."

"How do you know that?" Ron whispered as the laughter and screams grew closer.

"We need to be ready... Ginny can't run so we can't retreat. We are going to have to fight."

"Neville, how do you know what the Cruciatus Attack is?" Ron repeated.

"Because I hear my parents screaming like that in my nightmares every night," Neville said softly as two Nocturne Agents stepped out from beyond the trees, a Solrock and a Lunatone hovering beside them.

The two figures paused, looking at each other before removing their masks. Perhaps, at one time, one might have been kind and just considered them 'plain'. But be it a cruel hand dealt by Fate or Karma deciding that their faces should be as ugly as their souls, all trances of beauty were long bled from them. The female was short and seemed to waffle between thin and plump, unable to decided just which she should be. Parts of her looked heavy set while others were unnaturally bony. Her pasty skin seemed to be stretched a touch too tightly across her face; the impression wasn't helped by the fact that her thin hair was bulled tightly back. Her companion was much taller and where his sister's face was soft and round his was rough and pitted like he shaved with a stone he'd found on the ground. His hair was thicker and coarser, matted in spots and sticking up in tuffs in others. His form was lean but the odd bulge or bump could been seen, even through the outline of his cloak. At one time perhaps they had resembled each other but as they'd aged they'd drifted until now they looked more like distant cousins than brother and sister.

"Oi, what do we have here, Alecto?" the male said. "You seein' what I'm seein'?"

Alecto Carrow smirked, crooked teeth gleaming in the light of the flickering little fires that dotted the blast area. "I do believe I am, Amycus. We are in the presence of a celebrity!"

Amycus began to clap. "Neville Longbottom… the only one to ever escape the LeStranges without a scar." 

"Well, physical ones at the very least," Alecto said, her Solrock floating around her head. "Tell me, Neville my boy… how are mummy and daddy?"

Neville trembled, his jaw clenched tight. "Screw you."

Amycus let out a gasp. "Oi! If ya want to do that to my sister you need to at least buy her dinner first."

"No need to get too formal though," Alecto told her brother. "I'll take some entertainment at the very least."

"Have something in mind?"

The short Nocturne Agent tapped her chin. "I believe I do… let's finish what the LeStranges started."

"Now that's an idea. We can torture them to insanity… then I'll take the little redheaded girl while you have the way with Neville here. I hear Weasleys and Longbottoms are squirmers and its been such a long time since I had something young. Maybe we can share the ginger boy! Lunatone… Cruc-"

A growl filled the air and the Carrows turned, their Pokémon struck and sent smashing into the ground by a pair of sharp claws. Neville, Ron, and Ginny watched as the Carrows hurried back as Remus, in his Zoroark form, somersaulted away from the two, his teeth bared in a feral snarl as he positioned himself between the children and the Nocturne Agents. He held up a clawed hand, letting his talons gleam in the moonlight.

"Remus Lupin," Amycus said, his confidence regained as he identified his attacker. "I should have known you were around. You always had your nose buried in James Potter's arse and now you do the same for that dickless son of his." Remus merely growled, deciding he didn't want to waste precious time reverting back to his human form. "Well, if you are going to be rude then we can get down to business. I suppose you think you have the Type Advantage… but that is only half the story."

"That's right, brother," Alecto said mockingly. "You might get one of us but the other's Pokémon will take you down. All it takes is one little Crucio and you'll be joining these babies on the ground!"

"Then I suppose it is a good thing he isn't alone," Clair said, emerging from the shadows. She eyes narrowed and pulled out a custom black on white Pokéball with a blue gem right on the top. "You come to my home, hurt my citizens, and think I will just stand by?" The corner of her mouth twitched. "Normally I'd leave filth like you to my husband or my brother-in-law to deal with but seeing as they are busy I suppose it is up to me to act as Lady of the House and see the setting things back in order. Let's start by crippling your pathetic asses! DRAGONITE, I CHOOSE YOU!" The ball cracked open and from it emerged her Dragonite. Though many might have found this particular type of dragon cute Clair's Dragonite could not be called soft or cuddly. Its body, though round, was pure muscle and rather than the dopey smile Dragonites were portrayed as having in cartoons Clair's wore only a dark frown. "Let me show you what a Dragon Master can do! Dragonite, destroy my enemies! DESTROY THEM ALL!"

Remus let out a howl before leaping into battle, Dragonite only a step behind him.

~MC~MC~MC~

Harry awoke to find himself on the move.

He flexed his brow, popping one eye open and staring up at the tree branches that were slowly moving past him. He could feel the dirt rubbing against his scalp and every once and a while a stone would dig into his back. Each of his ankles were lifted up and held in a tight grip, leaving his upper body to drag against the ground. Shifting his gaze slightly he instantly recognized the black robes of Team Nocturne; Regulus had worn the same outfit during his assault on Le Fay's Landing.

"Finally awake?"

Harry's eyes shifted and stared at Jasmine. The teen was also being dragged and Harry's eyes went wide when he saw that her summer dress had ridden up, allowing him a full view of her bright blue panties. She didn't give the slightest sign that she cared about their predicament.

"See, that's why I hate wearing this thing." Jasmine's leg lashed out, freeing her right ankle from the second Nocturne Grunt's grip. She kicked him hard, sending him toppling, and Harry used the distraction to thrash himself free of his own captor. The two quickly leapt to their feet, Jasmine reaching down and tugging her dress back down while kicking off her sandles. "And here I was hoping the first time you saw me in my delicates it would be after a far more enjoyable evening."

"Is this important flirting?" Harry asked. "Because if it isn't I think we have better things to deal with." 

"What, these arseholes?" Jasmine said with a chuckle. "They are hardly important at all. Now, I'd ask to see yours but I think I'll wait till you are a bit older, ok? We'll… how do the Unovians say it… take a raincheck?"

The first Nocturne agent, the one that had been dragging Harry took a step forward. "You know, if you two had just stayed still like good little children we could have done this without harming you. But now…" He held up a Pokéball.

"But now what?" Harry asked, playing dumb. "We get candy and a kiss on the forehead?"

"…what?"

Jasmine smirked. "Oh, you like to banter… this friendship is getting better and better. XENA!" A whooshing sound filled the air, similar to what one might hear as a knife flew towards a target, and Jasmine's Aegislash flew to her, Harry and her trainer bags hanging from the Pokémon's handle. "Good girl," Jasmine said, tossing Harry his bag.

"Are you talking to your Aegislash or to me?"

"To her… you haven't done anything to impress me yet."

Harry narrowed his eyes, pulling out a Pokéball. "Well, I guess I better get started. But first: Dobby!" The Alakazam appeared and bowed to Harry. "Find Sirius and Remus and bring them to us. We'll deal with these two."

"That wasn't very smart," the second Nocturne agent said as Dobby popped away, pulling out a Pokéball of his own. "Little Harry Potter should have run away with his Alakazam."

"Why would I?" Harry asked. "You two don't look that impressive. I took on Regulus Black… twice."

"We're going to succeed where he failed!" the first Nocturne Grunt declared. "We're going to capture you and bring you before Lord Voldemort!"

The Second nodded. "That's right. Our Lord commanded us to bring you alive… but he didn't say anything about you being in one piece!"

"…then why should I have run off with Dobby?" Harry rolled his eyes. "You two aren't exactly the cream of the Team Nocturne crop, are you?"

"Why you-"

Jasmine sneered. "Oh, just call out your bloody Pokémon so we can move pass the foreplay!"

"Fine by us!" the second Grunt declared. "Mandibuzz, go!"

"Toxicroak, you're up!"

The two Nocturne Agents expected many things from the two teens; laughter was not one of them.

"Oh god!" Jasmine cried out, clutching her sides as she tried to contain her peels of near hysterical laughter. Harry stared at her but the girl merely continued to cackle, gesturing wildly at the agents' Pokémon. The Nocturne Grunts stood there, once more befuddled; this was not how things were suppose to go. "A Dark type and a Poison type? Could you GET any more stereotypical?!" Jasmine nearly had her head between her knees as she roared with mirth. "What, did you just walk up to a breeder and say "I want a Pokémon a 5 year old would think was evil"? You might as well have plastered bloody goatees on them!"

"Stop your laughter, you stupid girl!" the first Nocturne Agent demanded. "We demand your respect!"

"Well you're getting my mockery, sorry to disappoint!" Jasmine fired back, rubbing her cheeks. "Oh, oh it hurts to laugh."

"You arrogant little bitch!" the second Nocturne grunt roared. "Toxicroak, Poison Jab!"

Jasmine's mirth instantly disappeared and the young woman leapt out of the way, doing several back flips, her bare toes barely touching the ground, before landing in a crouch. She looked up and even Harry took a step back at the sight of her. Her eyes seemed to almost glow gold as she focused on her opponents and a feeling of foreboding filled the air. The Princess of Johto curled her upper lip, flashing her teeth like a Houndoom just before it attacked a tasty morsel. Harry felt the same push of energy he'd felt when Jasmine had revealed that she was a trained Speaker.

"Oh, I was so hoping you'd try something," Jasmine said. "Harry, I think they want a battle." The young man nodded, his own eyes narrowing as he moved to stand beside Jasmine. He rolled his shoulders and selected a second Pokéball, letting it expand as he worked the kinks out of his neck. He wasn't about to let Jasmine do all the heavy lifting. "This won't be like a normal battle they teach you about in your fancy boarding school. We go quick and hard and keep on the move. Watch each other's back and don't give them a second. Can you do that?"

"I'm good," Harry said firmly. "Eevee!"

"Xena!" Jasmine shouted, her Aegislash leaping from her back and moving in front of her. "I hope you can keep up."

"Prove you are more than just talk," Harry shot back with a smirk, easily falling into banter with his teammate. "Shadow Ball!"

"Iron Head!"

The battle was on.

~MC~MC~MC~

Luna groaned, rubbing her head. "Owie." Rolling onto her back, she looked up at the stars. "Okay Luna, check to see if everything is in order. You can feel your legs. You can move your arms. You can hear and see and smell and taste. You know your name and what year it is…" She blinked, brow furrowed. "Now I just need to wait for Alucard to come by on one of his enthusiastic midnight walks. Of course if he turns me into a vampire then I'll have to sleep in a coffin… I wonder if Prof. McGonagall will let me put one in the dorm." Sitting up, the young Gryffindor took stock of her surroundings. "Alright, all by myself… river to my right… screams and sounds of terror to my left, feeling like I am being watched…"

She stopped slowly looking back at the river… and her eyes went wide as she saw just WHAT was staring her down.

A low growl rumbled through the air.

Luna merely grinned.

"Oh frick the hell yeah."

~MC~MC~MC~

"Lord Black!"

Sirius stopped in front of a Nurse Joy that was standing just near the entrance of the Gauntlet Stadium. All around him was bedlam and chaos. "I've got injured!" Sirius shouted. In his arms Hermione moaned; when the blast had hit she'd struck a tree and a branch had been driven through her shoulder. She'd been the only one around when he'd woken up and he'd been forced to abandon any search for the others, knowing she needed medical attention.

"Bring her here," the nurse said, waving Sirius back inside. "We're setting up medical stations. We're short staffed but at least we can tend to the wounded and get them out of harm's way." Sirius merely nodded, setting Hermione down on some foam bleacher pads that had been laid out. "What happened out there? People are saying a gas main exploded."

"Not a gas main," Sirius said, spotting an officer coming towards him. "Something worse. You!" Sirius exposed his bare wrist, letting the Jenny see his 'j' tattoo. "I need your communicator! Mine was damaged in the blast." Accepting hers Sirius quickly typed in the override code before putting it to his ear. "This is Sirius Black! If there are any Sons on this frequency speak up!" Static filled the headset and Sirius cursed; his own dex had a greater range and would have gotten a signal much quicker than the standard issue police dex he was using. He was hoping to get ahold of one of the Elite 4 or the Prime Minister. "I repeat, this is the Lord of Sevii to any member of the Sons of Johto. The Gauntlet World Championship has been attacked. We have wounded and most of my party is still missing. We need immediate assistance! Princess and Lady are missing along with my godson. Come in, damn it!"

"I read you Sirius."

The Marauder's shoulders slumped in relief. "Jack. Where the hell are you?"

"I'm in the forest." Sirius heard a crack of a tree branch. "Where are you?"

"At the stadium. Do you know what hit us?"

"Seems you brought your problems to my region, old friend."

Sirius' eyes went wide and he felt his gut plummet to his feet. "Team Nocturne." He stood up and addressed the nurse. "Watch her with your life! I'm going to find my godson-"

"Belay that!" Jack snapped over the dex. "You wait till Jonas arrives. He's gathering his forces and will be there in less than five minutes. You can work with him but you do not go off alone, you hear me! Wait there for reinforcements!"

"Damn waiting!" Sirius snapped. "Harry is out there!"

"So is something else, Sirius. This isn't the work of Team Nocturne… at least not on their own."

"What are you saying, Jack?"

"There is another… an old rival of mine has been recruited to help them pull this off. I know his touch. You aren't good to me dead and if you go out there HE will kill you. He is beyond you." 

Sirius reached down, petting Padfoot, needing to comfort his Pokémon could provide. "You don't mean… Jack… Jack, Harry and Jasmine are out there with that monster! Jack!" Sirius shook the dex as the connection gave out. "JACK!"

"S-Sirius?" Hermione whimpered, her eyes half closed as the nurse removed the branch from her arm and began cleaning the wound. "What is it? What's wrong?" The Lord of Sevii didn't say a word and Hermione clutched at his hand. "Sirius… who is out there? Who?"

Sirius only uttered one word.

"Greyback."

~MC~MC~MC~

Author's Notes: Welcome to the chapter that just about killed me!

Not because it was hard to write… or because I got writer's block… or even that I disliked it. Quite the opposite. This chapter was a pain because there was just SO MUCH STUFF and as I kept writing it I kept getting longer and longer and longer. I kept adding things in, deciding on new battles and new little moments… what should have taken me only a few days to write took double that and then some! And here is the thing… what you just read is PART 1! Yeah, that's right… when I got done writing all of this, just the first draft was already well over double the length of a normal chapter. I realized that there was simply no way I could have one chapter be that long… so then I had to go through and begin editing and altering some things so I could split it into two.

Not that splitting it was a bad thing at all. Before the split there was no Sirius and Hermione scene, the Neville scene with the Carrows was MUCH shorter, the Gauntlet match was shorter, and Harry and Jasmine's scene… well, that actually remained the same.

Next chapter will also have more than I originally planned. In my notes the idea was that you didn't know what happened to most of the gang till the very end. There was a Luna moment where we found out what she discovered in the river that has her so happy but otherwise it was all Harry and Jasmine. Now we'll get Remus showcases why, while being a bit of a nerd, he's also a deadly fighter, Clair showcasing the power of her dragons, more with Neville, and a bit more with depth in the Harry and Jasmine vs. Team Nocturne battle.

A couple of other notes. First and foremost… yup, introducing more Death Eaters/Nocturne agents earlier in this story. One of the things I think the books have going against them is they don't really establish long lasting villains till Book 5. Think about it… Snape was… kind of a villain but not really until Book 6. Quirell was a One and Done. Lockhart wasn't much of a villain at all. Voldemort is around but hey, he is the Big Bad. Peter doesn't fight he runs away. And Barty is another One and Done and for the most part he is pretending to be Mad Eye (and, weirdly enough, might end up being the 2nd best Defense teacher Harry had). Lucius was never a physical threat to Harry either. It isn't till Book 5 that we get our first true recurring fighter in Bella.

I knew, with this story, that wouldn't work. I needed to set up some Team Nocturne Admins early on, to really ratchet up the tension. Regulus got set up in Book 3 and now we get the Carrows nice and early here. I know some of you might not like how I did them because, quite honestly, in all my research they never really left a deep impression on me. Maybe that's why I wanted to use them.

And we also get the introduction of another major villain: Fenrir Greyback. Since there are no werewolves I was forced to come up with some new stuff for Fenrir which I think you guys will LOVE. Also, because he and Remus no longer have a connection, I got to find a new way to connect him to the drama… one we will find out much more about in the upcoming chapters.

Ok, can I take a moment to address something? Seriously, what is with Rowling setting up connections between characters then never having them battle? Bella tortures Neville's parents… and its Molly Weasley that fights her? Fenrir infected Remus… and they never really interact. Peter betrayed the Marauders… and Sirius and Remus never deal with him again. Ugh. You may have noticed I am already setting up rivalaries: Remus and Lucius (the good father/the bad father), the Black brothers, and I will be doing that more throughout this story… so that when we get to Book 7, it is all about personal scores as much as winning the war.

A quick note: while writing this chapter I listened to "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys, and "Rocky Road to Dublin". Both have a wonderful Irish feel that fits well with Johto.

Now, onto the Avalon Dex! I got some good suggestions for names for our Dolphin Pokémon and I have decided that I will be going with Lord Circe/ajkent14z's suggestion of Delphin for the Basic form and cmsully's suggestion of Unicofin for the evolved form.

Finishing up the Avalon Water Trio is our Orca type. It is a fighting/water type and uses its large front fins (that, in the evolved form look like large hand like flippers) to throw punches. You can find their images in the Avalon Dex. Submit your names via review.

The next chapter should be up MUCH quicker than this one was, as it is nearly done!


	5. The Battle of Ilex Forest

Remus snarled, leaping from tree branch to tree branch. He was trying to keep the trunks between him and the Lunatone; while the Rock/Psychic type appeared a bit goofy its Cruciatus Attack was no joke. Worse, it, like the other Banned Attacks, didn't care one lick about pokemon strengths and weaknesses; Remus might have the type advantage against Lunatone in his Zoroark form but a Crucio would still hurt like hell. During the last war Remus had watched many friends and allies full under its blast, writhing in pain until their bodies simply shut down. That was why it was one of the three Banned Attacks: rather than cause damage the attack caused a pain so great that one under the effects of it chose death rather than suffer a second more.

His claws flashed and he sliced off a heavy branch, never stopping for even a second as he pruned the twigs and leaves from it until he had a sturdy club. He waited till he was in best position he could get before leaping down, the club striking the Lunatone and sending it careening into the ground. Remus didn't stop to savor his victory. He was on the move again, Alecto letting out a yelp as she realized that she was now Remus' target. The short Nocturne agent dove out of the way, landing in a small shrub that scratched her face. Remus wanted another go at her but seeing Lunatone was getting back up Remus made his way back into the safety of the canopy.

Clair and her Dragonite had decided to go with a different strategy. Rather than try and avoid Amycus and his Solrock. The Lady of Dragons had decided just this once to take a page from her husband's playbook and go head-on against her foe, never giving them a chance to fire off the Banned Attack.

"Iron Tail!" Clair shouted as she leapt at Amycus. The Nocturne Agent swung a punch at her but Clair managed to dodge, rolling to his right before leaping up and delivering a nasty kidney punch. Amycus cried out and Clair turned to address her Pokémon. "Now move into an Earthquake!" Dragonite nodded, flying right at the Solrock. The psychic type was barely able to move before Dragonite struck, causing a seismic shockwave that caused both the Solrock and its trainer to wobble.

Amycus sneered. He'd assumed that Clair would be like most trainers her fought, sticking to their little side of the field and barely moving other than to flap their gums as they shouted out attacks. But the Countess of Blackthorn had picked up some things from her husband and while not as physical as him or Jonas or even Jasmine she was willing to get in close and get her knuckles bruised. The male Carrow respected that... he'd make sure she died a hair quicker than Longbottom.

"Come down and fight like a man!" Alecto shouted at the trees. "Lunatone, use Zen Headbutt on those trees! I want them knocked down so the furry can't hide anymore!"

"LUN!" the moon-shaped Pokémon declared, rushing forward and bashing a tree trunk. It came crashing down, Alecto smirking when she saw Remus leap from it at the last second. Lunatone quickly chased after Remus, smashing any tree he set foot in.

"That's right! Run you pathetic little man!" Alecto screeched in delight. Tree after tree fell down, filling the impromptu battlefield with splintered wood and broken branches.

Remus landed on one tree and, with a smirk, flipped her off with his clawed hand.

"KILL HIM! KNOCK HIM DOWN!" Alecto roared. Lunatone rushed forward, crashing into the tree and sending it toppling down, Remus landing on the ground. "YES!"

"You idiot!" Amycus roared. "You just knocked out my Solrock!"

Alecto blinked, her eyes catching her brother's Solrock as it struggled to free itself. She glowered as she realized that Remus had been playing her. "You hairy bastard!" she screeched.

"Tired of playing with him?" Clair said, running towards Alecto. "Don't worry… my dance card just became full. DRAGONITE! SEEK AND DESTROY!" Dragonite bellowed, raising its hands above its head. Alecto's eyes went wide in fear as she saw the three glowing rocks the Dragonite was creating. "DRACO ME-"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Amycus called out. Remus and Clair both turned and shared a mutual curse when they saw that the male Carrow had managed to use their focus on Alecto to sneak around and get to Neville. The Boy struggled against the man's grasp, a small switchblade held against his throat. Ron looked ready to leap in and tackle the bastard but was restraining himself, knowing that any move would get Neville killed. Ginny, for her part, was having flash backs to Regulus. "Wouldn't want me to twitch, would ya?"

Remus snarled, his claws flexing as he mentally debated if he could get to Alecto in time to hold her hostage. Amycus was a madman but he loved his sister and would be willing to go for a trade if she was threatened. As if sensing his thoughts Alecto moved to stand next to her Lunatone, the rocky psychic type ready to fire off its Banned Attack the moment its mistress yelled "Crucio".

"You can't hope to win here," Clair said raising her hands to show she wasn't going for a weapon. "This forest will be filled with Cloaks within minutes. This isn't Kanto; we don't take kindly to children being threatened. You won't be able to buy your way out of this one."

"You are really bad at trying to settle a hostile situation," Alecto mocked. "Telling us its hopeless just means we should go full tilt against you sorry lot!"

Remus separated from Mooney, his lips pursed in a fine line. "What do you want?"

"See, was that so hard?" Amycus said with a smirk. "We only want one thing, really... to cause you as much pain and suffering as we can."

"Remus, just kill him!" Neville shouted.

"Shut it you little brat!" Amycus said, bending Neville's arm behind his back until the boy let out a yelp. "The big kids are talking." Amycus slowly dragged Neville over where his sister was waiting for him. "Now, don't worry... we aren't going to kill the little Lordling."

"Of course we aren't," Alecto chirped. She ran a hand along Neville's cheek. "That would be too quick. We'll leave him somewhere you can find him... maybe he can share a room with mummy and daddy!"

Clair threw out her hand, coming to a snap decision. "Dragonite, Thunderbolt on my mark!"

"What are you doing?" Remus hissed.

"They said it themselves: never tell a desperate person things are hopeless. Neville will be hurt anyway I think it better I make it quick!"

"Bitch!" Alecto shouted, realizing that Clair wasn't going to play along. They'd made the same mistake again, thinking she'd be like everyone in Avalon, accepting any command or threat given and being thankful for what tiny mercies they could get. But now it was clear that the Lady of Dragons played to win and if the board was fixed she had no problem burning it to ashes.

"Clair, don't!" Remus shouted.

"Do it!" Neville shouted.

"Dragonite-"

Amycus snarled and looked at his Solrock. "Target the other children! Cruc-"

None of them got off their attacks. Instead they found themselves startled as the impossible occurred right behind the Carrows: A Gyarados flew down, curling around the trees and bringing his head level with the Nocturne Agents. Amycus and Alecto were so utterly shocked by the sight of the mighty water serpent that they forgot all about what they were doing and Neville managed to drop down and roll away from the two. The mighty blue beast glared at them, his fang-filled mouth chewing slightly before he tilted his head enough to let the Carrow siblings see just who was riding the monster.

"Have you heard the sensation that sweeping the nation?" Luna Lovegood said with a smirk from her perch on Gyarados' head. She narrowed her eyes, her smirk turning into an absolutely wicked smile. "Bitches love cannons."

Gyarados opened his mouth and Clair and Remus leapt out of the way as the beast fired his Hyper Beam. The Carrows and their Pokémon cried out as they were struck, the mighty blast sending them rocketing in the air until their forms were little more than twinkles in the night sky.

"Good boy," Luna said, patting the Gyarados on the head.

Clair stared at the little blonde in shock. "how... how did you..."

Ginny shook her head. "It's... it's Luna. Best not to question things."

Luna pouted. "But this time I actually have a legitimate answer!" She ran her palms along Gyarados' crest. "I found him in the forest and instantly sensed that he was an old friend looking to help us out. You've been searching for us for a while, haven't you big guy?"

Ron took a step forward, truly looking at the Gyarados and seeing him really for the first time. He had never seen a Gyarados in person before but looking upon the great leviathan he was struck by a sense of familiarity. The scales of the sapphire beast shimmered in the moonlight and as Ron placed his hand on the Pokémon's cheek her saw that shards of gleaming stones were embedded in his scales.

"Magikarp?" Ron whispered.

Remus and Clair's jaws dropped as Gyarados actually smiled.

"By Merlin!" Ginny exclaimed, her earlier pain forgotten. "The suicidal fish came back!"

"Of course he did!" Luna said, sliding off of Gyarados' head and giving him a kiss. "I can feel it... he remembers how nice Ron was and how he worked with him and loved him and after he dealt with the Malfoys he swam away... but he never forgot. And the moment he saw me he knew he had to help us!"

"Is that true, buddy?" Ron asked, scratching Gyarados' neck. The flying serpent grumbled an affirmative and Ron grinned. "I know you've been having fun on your own... but do you want to team up again?" Gyarados lifted his head up and gave a great bellow before looking back down and nudging Ron. "I'll take that as a yes!" Ron said, pulling out an all white Pokéball. "I just made this premier ball before coming here... I think it is perfect for you!" Gyarados nodded and within seconds the serpent was captured.

Ron and his friends didn't get the time they deserved to celebrate as seconds later Dobby appeared next to Remus and tugged on his arm. 'Good Remus Lupin! Great Harry Potter is in danger!'

Clair nodded. "Go. I'll get them back to the Stadium."

Remus nodded, Mooney and him shifting into their Zoroark form and bounding back into the forest, Dobby clinging to his back.

~MC~MC~MC~

Jasmine reached down the front of her dress, pulling out a switch blade she'd stashed between her breasts and using it to cut a long slit along her dress. She flicked the blade a few times as she got in a battle stance, a dark smile on her lips as she stared down the first Grunt and his Toxicroak.

Harry just stared and she winked. "What till you see what else I have hidden on me." She turned back to the grunts and sneered. "You come here and think you can hurt my people? This isn't Avalon, you pathetic piece of slime… this is Johto, I'm its Princess, and I am going to reduce you to a oily smear on the ground!"

"Sludge Bomb!" the Grunt yelled. Any confidence he might have had in his ability to end the battle quickly withered and died when Xena, without even a verbal command from her trainer, leapt forward and took the shot, the attack oozing harmlessly off her. "How?!"

"Steel type," Jasmine said, somehow managing to be both taunting and bored at the same time. "Come now, you must have known that. Steel is such a wonderful type, as it repels those nasty little poisons you so enjoy spraying on Pokémon and people."

The grunt growled. "Then I guess I'll have to shatter your little metal friend! Brick Break!" Toxicroak moved once more to attack, only to go flying through the Aegislash. Jasmine, not one to let just her Pokémon fight, delivered a sidekick to the poison/fighting type as it stumbled towards her, driving it back through Xena.

"What makes an Aegislash so special is it is also a Ghost Type. That means it can use its rather unusual genetic structure to loosen the binding of its molecules… making your little Fighting moves rather pointless." Xena floated in front of her mistress and the Grunt had the impression the Sword-and-Shield Pokémon was laughing at him. "Come on now, this is just getting sad. Did you get picked to do this because no one cared if you died. That makes sense, considering what is going to happen to you when my family finds out you laid a finger on me. That's assuming, of course, I leave pieces of you that are big enough for them-"

"SUCKER PUNCH!"

"YES!" Jasmine cried out in delight. "Now we are talking!" Xena moved to intercept, performing a King's Shield to absorb the attack. "Come on now, is that the best you have?" Jasmine asked, her smile growing more maniac as the battle heated up. She began to spin her switchblade, a taunting grin on her face. "You finally figured out a Dark Move that could hurt us! So come on, hit me, strike me, give it your best shot!" She rushed forward, leaping over Xena and Toxicroak, her bare foot lashing out and striking the Grunt in the side. "And I'll give you mine!" she shouted as she began to alternate kicks and knife slashes as the Grunt.

"Are you mad!?" the Grunt shouted, doing his best to avoid the madwoman's attacks.

Jasmine leapt back, going into a series of back flips before she was almost completely hidden in the shadows of the treeline. "We're all mad here," she said with a smirk as Xena delivered a Sacred Sword strike to Toxicroak.

The Grunt's shoulders squared up as he trembled with rage. "Alright then… you want to play that way… you want to act like a Pokémon? Fine! Amoongus!" He threw out a second Pokéball and the Mushroom Pokémon appeared, its Pokéball-like cap and arms wiggling slightly. "Focus on that Aegisslash! Foul Play! Toxicroak, Poison Jab the bitch!"

"Yesssssssss," Jasmine hissed in glee as Toxicroak moved to attack her.

On the other side of the clearing Harry was finding his battle not going as well as Jasmine's. The problem was that Shadow Ball, Eevee's surprise attack, did nothing against the Grunt's Mandibuzz. The dark flying type merely let the first ball roll right off her before moving into an Air Slash. Eevee and Harry had gone on the defensive, using Sand Attack to try and blind the bird while Harry moved about the battle field, doing his best to avoid the attacks Mandibuzz was sending out. It was clear the second Grunt, unlike his partner, was more willing to send attacks not just at Eevee but Harry as well.

"Eevee, Quick Attack!" Harry shouted as the Mandibuzz moved in to perform a Fury Attack. The two Pokémon collided, both of them bouncing back towards their trainers. Harry caught Eevee as he tumbled into his arms and quickly made his way behind a large moss-covered boulder that sat just within the battle field. "You ok, buddy?" Harry asked, entering the Speaker Realm.

"I… don't like him," Eeevee said with a grimace.

"Yeah, me neither."

"Hey, idiots!" Hedwig called out.

"Hedwig!" Harry said, looking up to find Hedwig suspended far above him. "What happened to you?"

"When the blasts hit I got tossed about. Been looking for you! See you are having fun." The Hoothoot rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you need to begin carrying Zygarde around… he'd have finished this in seconds."

"Assuming he'd obey me," Harry countered.

"Well, now we are in deep shit," Hedwig stated. "Jasmine's got her hands full at the moment and I don't think these Nocturne grunts are going to play fair… so why the hell are we?"

"Two on one?" Harry asked.

"All of us on one, you pillock," Hedwig snarked. "Eevee's down so recall him, then me, you, the little fairy, the Bickering Twins, and Ludwig can get down to knocking that giant turkey around."

"No," Eeevee said. "I… I can do this!"

"Eevee, it's ok," Harry said, giving his starter a hug.

"Have you been watching the fight?" Hedwig complained. "You aren't doing much damage."

"I… I can do this!" Eevee said. "I will!" The little Pokémon smiled, closing his eyes. "It's time."

"Time?" Harry asked as he felt himself rushing back into the real world. "Eevee…" Harry whispered as the Pokémon began to glow…

"You think you can hide?" the Nocturne Grunt shouted. "You think a little rock will be able to protect you? You and the Dark Lord have a meeting and you will NOT be late for it! Mandibuzz, Bone Rush!" The dark bird let out a screech and dove down, waiting for the last second before it pulled the bone club from her feathered head and swinging it right at Harry's skull-

An explosion of light sent her toppling head over tail, the carrion bird finally coming to a stop just a few feet from her trainer. Both Grunt and Mandibuzz watched as Harry stood up from behind the Moss Rock… and a newly-evolved Eevee leapt out to join him. The little Pokémon had grown much bigger, nearly tripling in size. Much of his fluffy fur was gone, leaving him with a much shorter coat that was a pale tan. Several tuffs curled out and were a light olive color, looking a bit like little thorny hooks. Eyes the color of tree bark stared out at his opponent. His tail and ears had grown much longer and also faded into an olive color; the way they were shaped though made them look like leaves.

"Leafeon!" 'Eevee' cried out.

The Grunt began to laugh.

"Of all the Pokémon your Eevee could've evolved into, you let it be a Leafeon?" He cackled and Mandibuzz let out a squawking peels of amusement as well. "Leafeons are pacifists who prefer to 'heal nature'! At least you could have let it become that gay-looking Sylveon. Then it might have been able to-"

Leafon casually flicked out his tail, sending out two small leaves. They whistled as they flew through the air, one striking Mandibuzz and the other hitting the Grunt's mask. The Dark-type Pokémon blinked as a tooth from its 'skirt' was cleaved off and the Nocturne Grunt reached up, touching his mask and running his finger along the deep groove that had been cut into it.

"That's the thing I've found about Pokémon since coming to Avalon," Harry said, tensing as he readied himself for round two, "the dex entries about them… tend to only tell part of the story. Leafeon: Razor Leaf."

"Dark Pulse!" The Grunt shouted. Mandibuzz opened its mouth and fired off a shot of pure negative emotion. Leafeon zipped through the attack, mouth open and fangs gleaming as it performed a Quick Attack. The moment he struck the bird Leafeon fired off several more Razor Leaves right at his opponent, driving them right into Mandibuzz's wings. The Grunt's Pokémon fell to the ground, crying out in pain as it tried to go airborne; it merely flopped about on the grass unable to achieve any lift. "What did you do?!"

"I clipped its wings," Harry said simply. "Leafeon, Razor Leaf one more time!"

"Leaf!" The Eevolution Pokémon nodded, racing towards the Grunt and slamming right into him, using him as a springboard so he could twist around and fire off three more Razor Leaves right into Mandibuzz's back. The carrion bird let out a weak squawk, taking a single stumbling step forward before fainting.

"Now… on your knees," Harry said firmly, stepping forward as Hedwig landed on his shoulder and Leafeon moved to stand beside his trainer, Harry resting a hand on his Pokemon's head. "Don't move a muscle."

The Grunt, however, merely recalled his Pokémon. "You think this will stop me? You defeated one of my Pokémon… I have plenty more to call forth to take you down, Potter! You scored a lucky break but you won't take me down. Lord Voldemort wants you and as long as you are breathing he will be happy! So why don't I-"

The Grunt's threat was cut short when his partner crashed into him, knocking him off his feet. Both members of Team Nocturne stood up, watching as Jasmine casually walked over to Harry, her dress barely clinging to her, dirt and a bit of blood streak over her arms and face. She bounced on her bare toes as Xena moved into to stand beside her mistress.

"What do you think, Harry? Tag Team action?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah… sounds like a plan to me."

"As interesting as that might be I'm afraid I'll have to say no." Before Harry or Jasmine could turn to see who had said that they both cried out in pain. Jasmine twisted, flinging her left arm out to throw off whatever had latched on while Hedwig leapt down and clawed as the Pokémon that had rushed in and bit his trainer's back. The two young trainers squeezed their eyes shut as the aftereffects of the electrically charged bites raced through their nervous systems; their limbs trembled and breath came out in sharp gasps as they struggled to get a hold of themselves. Each fell to their knees, the sounds of Hedwig, Leafeon, and Xena being driven off by a trio of attacks filling their ears.

Harry groaned, his hand going to the small of his back only for him to hiss in pain the moment his fingers touched the electrical burn. Jasmine, for her part, was slowly rising back up to her feet though Harry could tell she wasn't well off. The skin on her left arm was cooked and from the way she was clenching her jaw it was clear she was fighting to contain the scream that threatened to bubble up. Even though they'd both avoided being chewed to bits the electrified teeth that had slashed them had done plenty of damage. Jasmine still managed to raise her right hand, a Pokéball ready, as she faced down the trio of Mightyenas who'd delivered the Thunder Fang attacks.

"This is why Lord Voldemort saw fit to pay me," the new arrival said with a sneer, stepping out of the shadows. He was a hulking figure, looking more like a beast than a man. His hair was dark and thin, plastered against his forehead and running down his skull. His jaw was covered in the same coarse hair and Harry was reminded of some great beast whose face was the only thing not covered in fur. While not as tall as Hagrid the man was still rather intimidating, his thick shoulders and hairy chest covered in a rough fur coat that hung to his ankles. Hanging from his rough leather pants was a long machete. Opening and closing his meaty fists, the beastly man let out a barking laugh as Harry and Jasmine struggled to remain standing. "You little fools, still playing by the rules! If you want to hurt someone you hurt them proper! Hell, I'm more impressed with the little bastard and bitch than I am with your sorry asses!" The grunts looked at each other, realizing that the intruder was mocking them and not the teens.

"Greyback," Jasmine hissed.

"I'll get to you in a moment."

The Nocturne agent Harry had been focusing on jabbed his finger at the beastly man as he walked over to them. "Fenrir, what the hell do you think you are doing! You know your part in this and-"

Fenrir's arm lashed out, his fingers wrapping around the Noctunre Agent's skull. He slowly lifted the man up, the dark-robed figure's legs and arms flailing. "I know exactly what my part is."

CRUNCH!

Harry shut his eyes and grimaced. When he opened them again he was treated to the sight of Fenrir tossing his victim's body to his three Mightyenas who happily began to devour their prize. Greyback had the Grunt's Yamask firmly in hand and, with a savage snarl threw it into a tree. He let loose a whistle and two more Nocturne agents hurried out from the bushes they'd been hiding behind, one of them grabbing the dead Nocturne grunt's Pokéballs and pocketing them.

"Any complaints from you?" Fenrir asked Harry and Jasmine's remaining opponent. With a shake of the Agent's head Fenrir took a step towards Harry and Jasmine. "Now then... what do we have here? Voldemort is paying me quite a bit to make sure you get back to Avalon... but he didn't say anything about getting a second prize." Jasmine forced herself to stand tall as Greyback eyed her up, his rough tongue darting out to wet his lips. He stared at her town dress, letting his eyes roam over her cleavage then dip down to look at her cotton-covered groin."Oh yes... I imagine your father would pay quite the pretty penny for you... even if you were 'spoiled'."

"You come near me and I'll rip your floppy bits right off!" Jasmine shouted.

"Spirit!" Fenrir said with a laugh. "I'll enjoy breaking you."

"You know, you're right."

Fenrir went ramrod straight, his eyes darting about the clearing. The three Nocturne agents were instantly on edge, seeking out the source of the voice that had chimed in.

"I would pay to see her safe... but I'm afraid it won't come to that." Harry turned just in time to see a figure leap frown a nearby tree, landing in a crouch. "I'll be too busy getting my pound of flesh from you, butcher."

"Kenway," Fenrir snarled, his lips curled back to reveal his yellowed teeth.

"Da," Jasmine said, breathing a sigh of relief. She took a step towards her father only for the Mightyenas to race around and block her and Harry's path. Xena and Leafeon moved to protect their trainers but Harry knew they were simply too worn out to be able to take on the clearly fresh and strong Mightyenas. Hedwig was still the air, seeking out an opening to strike.

"I'll give you all this one chance," Jack Kenway said to the Nocturne Agents, his hood covering his face so that only his mouth was visible. His lips twitched, curling back into a cruel grin. "Lay down on your bellies, keep your hands where I can see them, and perhaps I'll let you walk out of this forest alive."

Harry would never know if it was true bravado or merely the false sense of security that came from greater numbers, but the Nocturne Agents responded with laughter. "You need to count again, Kenway!" one of the grunts mocked. "We have you outnumbered!"

"That might matter to any other man," Jack said, his lips twisted into a feral smile. "But I am something quite different. You see… I'm not quite human anymore."

Harry shuddered as a pulse of energy seemingly radiated outward from Jack. When Jasmine had done it Harry had felt as if someone had grabbed hold of his nervous system and given it a strum, no different than picking at the string on a guitar. When Jack did it Harry felt like a great invisible force was suddenly pressing down upon him, trying to drive him into the earth. The Nocturne agents felt it too and their laughter tampered out as Jack raised his right hand.

"You have heard of me... you know what they say of me. The whispers and ill tidings of the dark magic that I possess. Perhaps you thought it legend; it is not. I think a demonstration is in order." He began to move his hand back and forth, index finger extended. "Now then... which one shall die? Eenie, meenie, minie-"

A sharp whishing sound filled the air and in the next instant the Nocturne agent Harry and Jasmine had been battling was clutching his throat. He let out a gurgle, ripping off his mask only to spit up a mouthful of blood. His hands fell from his neck as the sticky crimson fluid dribbled down the front of his uniform. The Agents that had come with Fenrir trembled as their comrade fell to the ground, dead.

And that's when the earth began to shake.

"I sacrifice this one's blood to the forests of Johto!" Jack shouted and the ground rolled under them. Jack threw out his arms and it seemed as if the whole world was being torn apart. "I command you to seek out and destroy all those that dare to befoul this land!" Jack let out an inhuman snarl and all hell broke loose.

The Nocturne agents screamed as roots and branches suddenly grabbed onto them, pulling and tugging on their limbs. They fought to free themselves but every tree in the forest seemed to be alive and seeking out more blood. Jack laughed as the grunts begged for mercy, the Yamasks they wore unable to teleport them away despite how much their trainers begged them too. The ground cracked and broke and more roots shot out, attempting to drag the Nocturne Agents down into the very bowels of the planet. Harry could only which, eyes wide with fear, as Jack stood in the center of it all, looking like some vampriic demon calling forth his dark magics.

The only one to keep his head was Fenrir, who scowled and grabbed hold of his machete, using it to hack at the roots. "Snap out of it, you idiots! This is nothing more than shadows and trickery! Mightyena, Crunch!" One of his Mightyenas raced to Harry's right and attacked a tree. The Gryffindor stared in shock as the tree actually cried out, the roots suddenly falling limp to the ground as it fought to remove the beast from its branch-like arm. "A Treverant! The same one that came out of the Pokéball he shot through that bastard's throat!"

"And the earthquake was merely Mumik," Jack said simply, dropping all pretenses. His arms snapped to his sides, his escrima sticks falling into his hands. "I suppose trickery and illusions won't work on you... you need something a bit for physical."

"Damn straight," Fenrir snarled, brandishing his machete. "Been a long time since I had a challenge… I'm going to gut you and shower in your blood!" Turning to glare at the Nocturne agents, Greyback gestured at Harry and Jasmine. "Don't just stand there! Get them! Kenway is mine but the little ones are all yours!"

Jack's aimed his escrima stick over his shoulder and fired a Pokeball right at Harry and Jasmine. It snapped open and let forth a large Noivern, which flapped its great wings before landing in front of the two teens, shielding them. Jack let out a snarl that a human throat should not have been able to produce and his Donphan, Mumik, rolled into the clearing, unfolding and using a Seed Bomb attack to drive the Mightyenas off of Fangorn.

"Now now, let's keep this between the two of us," Jack taunted. Fenrir let out a savage cry and swung his blade at Jack's neck; the Johtoian blocked it with his escrima sticks before going on the offensive.

The world dropped away and all Harry could see was Jack and Fenrir. He had thought before that Jasmine, when focused, was an Apex Predator but now Harry could see just how wrong he was. Here, in front of him, were two men that were truly at the top of the food chain. Steel clashed against steel and the ringing of metal mixed with the snarling battle cries of the two warriors. The sky could have crumbled and the air turned to poison with the coming of judgment day and still the two figures would have dominated the attention of all. Theirs was a primal power that spoke of the lost times when it was the strength of man's fist and the trickery of one's mind that saw them through the day. There was no need for Pokémon here; these two could battle find just on their own.

What struck Harry the most was how different the two men battled. Greyback was a caveman, his thick, meaty arms swinging his machete with enough force to split stone. He cursed and howled every time he missed and roared in triumph when he managed to draw blood from his opponent, even if it was the tiniest of nicks. Jack, for his part, moved like the vampire he'd pretended to be when he'd first entered the clearing. His movements were fluid, his body always in motions. He seemed to be dancing as he weaved and bobbed around Greyback, his escrima sticks never striking the same place twice. Jack kept his words to a minimum, only making a sound when he was hit and even then it was quiet and subdued. He made the battle look rehearsed, each move already planned to allow him to flow into the next three steps of his attack.

Harry was just as surprised at Jack's Donphan. Mumik would turn and trumpet at Fangorn or the Noivern and the Pokémon is question would launch into a complex attack that would keep the Mightyenas and Nocturne Grunts at bay. The armored Pokémon commanded the other two Pokémon as if they were his own.

"There he is!"

Harry turned, tensing as he prepared for another assault but Jasmine's hand gripped his wrist, stopping him before he made a move. From the brush emerged a lean figure with wild brown hair, a sword strapped to his back and a Primeape swinging just over his head. He stepped in front of the two teens and tossed out a Pokéball, calling out a Volcarona that moved to assist the Noivern.

"Uncle Jonas!" Jasmine gasped in relief.

"Surround the Princess and Lord Potter!" Jonas barked. From the shadows 15 Jennys appeared, each moving to set up a perimeter around the teens. Each of the officers were dressed in crisp blue jackets with hood on the back, long pants, and thick-soled hiking boots. Jonas, wearing a similar jacket though his hood was silver, moved to the head of the protective ring, watching as his brother battled Fenrir.

One of the Nocturne Grunts, suddenly realizing that the odds had changed, decided to actually do something about it. He began to reach into his robe to grab a Pokéball.

"Oh?" Jonas said. Rather than go for his sword he reached into his jacket and pulled out a compact revolver. With practiced ease he fired, sending two shots straight through the Grunt's chest and head before he tracked the second Agent. "Give me a reason."

"Are you alright, Father?" one of the Jennys called out when Jack fell to the ground; Greyback had managed to twist his machete in a way to slip through Jack's defenses and cut his left bicep. Blood gushed from the deep gouge and more than a few of the officers looked ill at the sight of Jack's exposed muscle and bone.

Jack, his eyes never leaving Greyback, smirked. "I needed that scratch to awaken me!" He leapt back up, his speed seeming to double as he went on the offensive, his escrima sticks singing as they rushed through the air. It was the brute's turn to back away, trying to defend himself against the whirlwind barrage that was Jack's attacks. The Father of Johto never let his gaze waiver. Not once did he glance at his allies to gloat or showoff. His focus was entirely on Fenrir now that he had Johto's police force backing him up.

Fenrir snarled, managing to put a few feet of distance between him and Jack. "Another time... when you don't have the skirts to hide behind." Grabbing a flash bomb from his pocket Greyback let it fly, the Johto defenders covering their eyes as the blast filled the clearing with blinding white light. When it finally cleared only the dead Nocturne agents remained.

"Harry!" Remus shouted, bursting through the tree line and hurrying over to the boy, hugging him tight. Sirius was on them in seconds but, seeing Jonas, restrained himself from glomping Harry and instead had Padfoot join the Jennys in securing the area.

"The others?" Harry asked.

"Their safe in the stadium. They ran into the Carrows but managed to blast them off."

"DA!" Jasmine cried out, hurrying over to her father. Jack was panting, his good arm going up so he could pull his hood down.

"You're hurt," Jack said softly, staring at his daughter's arm.

"It's a burn," Jasmine said, playing off the nasty wound. "You're the one that got sliced."

"This little thing? Done worse with my razor. That bite though… nearly took a chunk out of you!"

"Please da, it was a love nip compared to bloody Greyback trying to hack off your arm."

"We get it, you're both tough," Jonas growled in annoyance. He looked over at Harry and saw he too had been hurt. He waved his hands in the air, drawing the attention of two of his officers. Sirius, for his part, hurried over and pulled off his shirt, gently pulling it over Jasmine so she wasn't exposed. "The Father, the Princess, and Lord Potter have been injured! Get Maxwell on the phone and tell him we have teleports coming in! He better have his staff prepped for surgery when we get there."

"Belay that order!" Jack commanded. "We chase down Greyback..." Jack stumbled slightly, blinking in surprise. "Huh... I don't remember the ground spinning like that a moment ago." Two Jennys instantly moved to support the Father as he swayed, lowering him to the ground. The other officers moved in tandem, reforming their protective ring around Jack.

Jonas glared at his older brother. "You're bleeding out and just got done battling Fenrir Bloody Greyback! You aren't doing a damn thing but getting medical treatment. I need two Cloaks!" Jonas turned and two hooded figures stepped forward, each of them wearing matching black jackets with black hoods, their faces hidden in the darkness. "Take some Jennys and track Greyback down."

"Only move in if he hurts someone," Jack warned, grimacing as one officer began to pull bits of his torn sleeve from his arm. "That is an order. He leaves these shores then so be it… none of you are close to his level and I won't have any of you die playing bloody hero. Enough blood has been spilled tonight."

"Yes Father," the two Cloaks said as one.

"Those are my men and women, Jack," Jonas reminded him as he pocketed his gun.

The blond haired man rolled his eyes. "Then teach them to only obey you, baby brother." Jack looked over at Harry, who was being fused over by Remus and a Nurse Joy who'd rushed to the scene. Hedwig had flown down and joined Harry, standing on Leafeon's back as her trainer was cared for. "So, you're Sirius' godson."

"Harry Potter, sir."

Jasmine, despite the pain she was in, motioned towards her Jonas. "My uncle, Jonas Kenway, member of the Elite 4 and Head of Johto's Police Force."

"You did good, kid," Jonas said with a nod.

"And may I present my da, the Father of Johto, the Lord of-"

"Jack Kenway," Jasmine's father said, cutting her off. He held out his hand. "I think I'd like to shake the hand of the young man that stood with my daughter."

And that is how, baptized by blood, the Boy-Who-Lived and the Father of Johto shook hands for the first time.

~MC~MC~MC~

Author's Notes: As I said in the last chapter, this one was a beast. I never meant for it to be this long but as I wrote it more and more kept coming to me and the chapter expanded. Even after splitting it in half I found that this chapter just got longer to the point that I could have probably cut it again!

So much to talk about here. First is Ron's Magikarp finally returning to him. I hit upon the idea of Gyarados returning to Ron sometime during Book 3 but wasn't for sure when it would happen. It wasn't until I begin drafting this chapter that I knew that it would be the perfect time for Ron to get his Pokémon back. Good to see Ron's team a bit more full and for him to reap the reward of training Magikarp.

I really enjoyed developing the fighting styles for all these characters. Clair gets physical but I didn't want her to be a brawler or a full on fighter like the rest of her family. She is a trainer first and fighter second. Jasmine I knew would be like her father but it wasn't until this chapter that I hit upon the idea of her going into a kind of battle lust. Also her acrobatics just work well and make her different from the rest of the cast. Jasmine continues to be such a conflicting character: sweet looking girl, tends to flirt, but also loves the thrill of the hunt. Jonas I wanted to feel of a action hero… it wasn't until after the fact that I decided he's a bit like Dante from Devil May Cry, mixing up styles. He is all about getting in, securing the win, and getting out.

Jack is an interesting mix. On one hand he is all theatrics, as we saw with him "Lord of Vampires" routine here. I came up with an idea a while ago that different Arts would represent supernatural creatures from the Harry Potter universe. Pokemagnuses are obviously werewolves and I hit on the idea that Speakers, with their ability to 'commune' with Pokémon (and thus make it look like they are hypnotizing them), as well as the 'Pulse' they send out that tells everyone "I am an Apex Predator… leave or die" that they should be vampire-like. Thus Jack trying to scare his enemies using his Pokémon. Another nod towards this is the reveal of another one of Jack's Pokémon: his Noivern Angmar (who continues the trend of Jack have Pokémon named after Lord of the Rings creatures; Mumik the Donphan, Azog the Tyranitar, Fangorn the Treverent and now Angmar the Noivern). When that failed Jack moved into close quarters fighting style, which is inspired by Captain America: quick, fast, always moving, always going for the strike.

Fenrir Greyback I discussed a bit in the last chapter but now we really get to see him in action. Much of this story is about mirrors and reflections (not literally but metaphorically). Greyback is a mix of Sirius, Remus, and Jack: a wild card that doesn't belong, who is cunning and smart, but is also quite brutal. He isn't a true Pokemagnus but it should be clear that he isn't quite human either. We will be seeing a LOT of Greyback and he will be a great enemy for Harry and his allies to deal with. Fenrir's fighting style was inspired by Alexander Anderson, the Bayonet Priest.

And finally, the other MAJOR event in this story: Eevee Evolving! I will admit it right now… Eevee originally didn't evolve in this chapter. The original plan was for Eevee to evolve at the end of this book, during Harry's battle with Voldemort. But I decided that, for various reasons, it simply worked better that Eevee evolve here. I will also say… until literally the last moment… I was still debating what Eevee would evolve into. When I first did the outline Eevee evolved into a Glaceon. Then I changed it to a Leafeon. Then Umbreon. Then Sylveon. Then Umbreon again… then it became a three way fight between Umbreon, Sylveon, and Leafeon. That's why this fight happened in a forest at night… so all three evolutions would be possible. In the end I ruled out Umbreon for two reasons: I felt it was too 'expected' and overdone (as usually fan fiction writers have an evolve evolve into Umbreon) and his move pool was rather shallow. Sylveon was next to be rejected… first because I just don't like Sylveon being a boy when it looks so girly (had I made Eevee or girl or a shiny then different story) and also, and this is the main thing, Harry already has a Fairy Type. Making Eevee Sylveon would have made Togetic redundant, especially since Hedwig has the Flier thing covered. So it was back to Leafeon, who has a ton of different moves and also is just original enough to be interesting. I hope it was worth the wait.

And now… the Avalon Dex!

One reviewer pointed out that I didn't give much detail about our Orca Pokemon last time. I did that originally because I didn't want to have you guys ignore the wonderful Dex images that were done but it was argued by this reviewer and the artist who did them that I shouldn't stop with the longer overviews. As such, I am extending the naming of our fighting orca duo for another chapter, as well as having the naming for the next addition.

First, the orcas: Fighting/Water types, this family are the hunters of the sea. They go after their prey, lashing out and striking it, tenderizing it before gulping it down. When it evolves its front fins get long enough for them to perform punching moves, allowing them to perform all manner of powerful attacks that one would not expect under the waves.

The next Pokémon to introduce is the Avalon Region's member of the Electric Cheek family. We've gotten rodents and squirrels and flying squirrels but I decided to go a bit different and introduce an Electric/Poison type based on a porcupine. Purple and tan with purple quills tipped with yellow, this Pokémon has developed into a truly annoying Pokémon to battle due to its ability to either poison or paralyze its opponents. Its actually quite friendly and the 'quills' aren't sharp at all… they are actually tuffs of hair. But within these tuffs is a poison tube and an electrical tube, allowing the Pokémon to fire off either if it senses danger. Otherwise it just happily allows its trainer to hug it. To make it even more annoying, this pokemon as the ability "Affliction" would cause the chances of poisoning or paralyzing an opponent to increase by 30%.


	6. Olivine Point

"I think Poppy is going to be really upset when she finds out about this, pup. Here you are, being attended by another doctor... you two had something special! For shame… for shame." Harry cracked an eye open and was relieved that someone had thought to close the blinds; it seemed like every single time he awoke after an injury he was positioned perfectly for the sun to strike his eyes and leave him blind. He half wager Nurse Poppy did it on purpose.

He was lying on his stomach, a matted down starched pillow placed under his cheek and heavy bandages wrapped around the wound Greyback's Mightyenas had blessed him with. Sitting beside him in a sturdy oak chair was Sirius, dressed in a simple black tee and blue jeans.

"I don't know what is the bigger pain in my ass..." Harry muttered.

Sirius, rather than being shocked, grinned in delight. "Oh, now that was a good one!"

"Where are we?" Harry asked. The last he remembered was one of the nurses injecting him with a sedatives. They'd told him that doing a long-range teleport might cause more damage to his wound; Harry figured that someone had told the medical staff about his tendency to land on his rear after warping.

"You are in Rivendell," Luna said, popping up behind Sirius. He dimly realized she was wearing a t-shirt that read 'I SURVIVED THE BATTLE OF ILEX FOREST AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY SHIRT'. "Under the care of Lord Elrond."

"...where are we?" Harry asked, looking at Sirius.

His godfather chuckled. "We are in the infirmary of Olivine Point, Johto's premier trainer school. You are under the care of Doctor Maxwell Kelley, head of Johto's medical board and member of the Johto Elite 4."

"Who is also rather humble and not one to put on airs," a doctor said, stepping around so Harry could get a good look at him. His chin was covered in thick whiskers yet his mustache was rather whispy and thin. He had long hair that he tied back in a ponytail and keen gray eyes that were constantly moving about, studying Harry, his chart, and the monitors without ever stopping on one for more than a few seconds. He wore a short blue coat and Harry could just make out a string of Pokéballs on his belt. Beside him a Blissey stood at the ready with the doctor's medical bag. Harry could also see the letter J tattoo on the man's wrist. "Hello, Harry, I'm your doctor."

Luna huffed. "You might be his doctor but you aren't mine! I prefer David Tenant!"

"...we have several psychologists available if you want..." Maxwell gestured towards Luna.

The blonde frowned. "Unless it is Dr. Sweets I'm not interested. He's dreamy!"

"Tell me Doc, will he ever play the piano again?" Sirius asked.

"That one never gets old," Maxwell said dryly before addressing Harry. "You are a lucky one, Mr. Potter; had we not gotten to you when we did that bite might have caused permanent nerve damage."

"Yeah, it felt like a lucky bite," Harry groused, reaching over and touching his still tender lower back. He could feel the medicated bandages that were firmly stuck to his skin and resisted the urge to just rip the irksome irritant off. He knew that they were suppose to promote cellular growth but sometimes he thought it would be better to go with a longer recovery if it meant no itching. "But I'm ok?" Harry asked, it dawning on him just how close of a call it had been.

Maxwell patted him on the shoulder. "Perfectly fine. You are ok to walk around, though I suggest not overdoing it, and you should be fully healed within a day or so. My personal recommendation is that you spend the next two days here before continuing on your vacation." Signing off on Harry's chart, the Elite 4 member grinned. "Of course, there are worse places to recover."

"What did he mean by that?" Harry asked as Dr. Maxwell left, his Blissey following right behind him. Hedwig, who'd been snoozing by an opened window, flew over and settled herself on Luna's shoulder, the blonde scratching the bird's belly.

Sirius put his arm under Harry's armpit and helped him up. "Want don't you get dressed and I can show you?"

Twenty minutes later Harry was wandering the halls of Olivine Point with Sirius and Luna, wearing a loose blue tee that featured the Olivine Point Logo (a stylized letter O with the hooded Crimson Knight above it; Sirius had mentioned the Knight was the inspiration for Jack's outfit) and a pair of jeans. He was amazed by just how different the school was from Hogwarts. It wasn't just the overall look of the buildings either, though that was clear just taking a few steps through the Johto school. Hogwarts existed as an ancient castle that was routinely updated and upgraded. Olivine Point was much younger and had a more regulated layout; the halls were all straight and uniform, the classrooms seemed to stick to one of four different sizes, and there was an air of crisp professionalism that clung to the walls. If Hogwarts was a castle then the Point was a fortress. On one hand it created a powerful presence... but on the other Harry felt that Hogwarts seemed more alive than Olivine.

That was the ironic thing as at the moment Olivine was teaming with life. People were moving about, ducking into classrooms or gathering in tight groups at intersections, talking in hushed tones. They ranged in age from 11 to 90, though each was dressed in professional, if casual, outfits. Harry had felt a bit underdressed until he spotted a few students wearing the same shirt as him. Sirius fit right in with his half-buttoned dress shirt and black slacks, a grin on his face as he waved to a few choice people while leading Harry and Luna through the halls. Luna, for her part, was oblivious to any stares she got… or just didn't care. Sometimes Harry wished he was as comfortable with himself as Luna was.

"While it is true that Olivine is, for the most part, a school, it also serves other purposes," Sirius said. "Jack realized that it was silly to just have the school sit here gathering dust during the summer. When he became Headmaster he decided that he'd open it up and let people use it for functions, conventions, that sort of thing. It took a few years but now they have something going on nearly every day until the students come back." Sirius turned to his right and pointed to a set of exit doors. "See?"

Harry and Luna looked up. Above them was a large red banner that read '4th Annual Summer Conference".

Sirius led them away from the doors and down a new hallway. "The Summer Conference has become a major event in Johto. For two weeks the school plays host to all manner of people from all around the world. They have lectures on the newest discovers in Pokémon breeding, training, grooming... so on. There is a Coordinator Contest that during the weekend and workshops on all sorts of topics. Chefs come to showcase their newest dishes, both for Pokémon and people, and a few of the electronics companies have Unveiling Presentations in the main hall. That's actually one of the big reasons Johto go the World Championship this year; this week's pretty big for a lot of circles and the Gauntlet World Committee decided it would work out great to just roll it all together."

"Wow," Harry said, looking about in wonder. He noticed now that nearly every classroom had a sign listing different meetings, lectures, and events that were taking place and at what time. "This is... really cool."

Sirius grinned. "Glad you think so. The original plan was for us to spend the last few days of your friends' visit here."

"Is that where everyone is?" Harry asked.

Luna nodded. "Oh yes. Ron went to a Pokéball Crafting Workshop and Ginny is checking out the new dexes… wants to see what she'll be hacking next year. Neville said he was going to spend the morning in the school garden, as they are doing are having a display of new Grass Type Attacks. I've already checked out the Baby Pokémon seminar... they were all so cute!" She turned to Sirius and, with an utterly straight face, asked, "Permission to squee?"

"Granted?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Harry wiggled his finger in his ear, praying he got his hearing back. "So, I assume we are headed to one of the meetings?"

Sirius smirked and gestured towards a set of double doors. "Actually, we are already here." A poster in a metal stand proclaimed _'All Who Wander Aren't Lost: A Morning with Jack Kenway'_. "Remus said he wanted to attend and I think Hermione joined him."

"But it's almost over," Harry said, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"That's alright. The real reason we are here is Jack wants to talk to you." Harry gulped and Sirius shook his head. "Harry, you battled with his daughter. Jack is... Jack... but he isn't a boogeyman. Now stay quiet so we don't interrupt things." Sirius opened the door and the three stepped inside.

Harry found himself in a large auditorium that was completely packed. There were three small lines of people standing in the aisles, waiting for their turn to get to one of the sets of microphones that were set up near the stage. Harry noticed that while many of the people watching were watching the stage in interest enough of them had note books or their dexes out, scribbling away. It was a strange group that was gathered for the question-and-answer session. There were trainers like Harry and Luna, wearing jackets and t-shirts. They were mixed in with men and women dressed in suits and business attire, briefcases and purses tucked under their seats, and even a few professors in their white jacket. They glanced from their notes back to the stage where some professor was obviously warming up the crowd before Jack came on.

Harry blinked, staring at the man who was commanding the entire auditoriums' attention.

It was Jack.

Gone was his brown barn coat and red hood. In their place was a red turtleneck and caramel-colored cord blazer. He still had on jeans but the thick-soled boots he'd been wearing the night before had been swapped out for a pair of loafers. Without his hood casting his face in shadows his fierce visage was transformed into that of a friendly intellectual. He was pacing, a small mic pinned to the lapel of his jacket, his hands casually sweeping about as he discussed the mating dance of the Heliolisk. Every one and a while he reached up and fiddled with his goatee.

"Not quite what you were expecting, huh?" Sirius whispered. When Harry mutely nodded his godfather chuckled and led them to a pair of seats that, to Harry's surprise, had their names on them. "What, did you expect him to be still covered in blood and showcasing how to properly stab someone in the back?"

Luna frowned. "Why would we need to learn that? Everyone knows to do that you host a wedding and then play the 'Rains of Castamere' before slipping the knife… what?"

Harry and Sirius just stared at the blonde before turning their attention back to the stage. Sirius, his voice a whisper, continued on with his previous thought. "You're making the same mistake a lot of people make: you look at Jack's war record and see that as all he is. That was only a few years of his life and yeah, he's bloody scary still with those sticks of his, but he isn't some blood soaked monster seeking out death. Before the war he was a Pokémon Tracker and now he's Headmaster of Olivine. He's got his doctrine in Pokémon Behavioral Studies and tends to step in and teach classes when a teacher is sick."

"He's like Indiana Jones," Luna said with a soft squeal. "I call being Short Round!"

"See, I got that reference," Harry stated.

"Thank you Sallah."

"I think we have time for one more question," Jack asked, his Johton brogue filling the air. There were some moans of protest and Jack smiled, holding up his hand. "I know, I know, but remember that this is only the 3rd lecture in… Mumik, how many are we doing of these things?" Jack's Donphan, who was seated just offstage, let out a trumpet. "Bloody hell, I agreed to that many?" Mumik gave him a look and Jack gestured at the Pokémon. "What do you mean it's my fault? You are the one that books these things!" the audience chuckled and the two suddenly realized they had an audience. Jack turned and shrugged. "Let's just say that I'm booked for a good number of these over the rest of the week. Now then, you miss."

Harry blinked in surprise when he saw it was Hermione who was asking the question.

"Lord Kenway, I was wondering if you could share your thoughts on the debate concerning fossil Pokémon... mainly from a Tracker's point of view."

"Of course," Jack said with a smile. "Eleanor, could you bring up slide 57 please?" An overhead projector came to life and on the massive white screen that hung behind Jack there was an image of several fossils. "As I'm sure many of you are aware of there is a massive debate going on in the scientific community concerning the rights of Fossil Pokémon. There are a wide range of viewpoints; some people believe that fossil Pokémon were created by us and as such should remain domesticated creatures. Others counter that some, namely ones like Tyrunt, Zaptor, and Pyrosail, are too dangerous and should be outlawed. And, of course, there are people who state that these Pokémon should be released and allowed to live in the wild.

"Let me state for the record that what we call Amaura or Shieldon or Aerodactyl are not the Pokémon that roamed this planet 65 million years ago. They simply can't be. They lack the social structure and learned behavior that marked their kind. Yes, there are some things that come from nature but there are also elements of these species that have been lost to us forever. The mere fact that all of these creatures are Rock types, due to our inability to remove all of the stone's molecular, proves this. These creatures are manmade." He held up a hand before the murmurs could begin. "But that does NOT mean that I support, in any way, shape, or form, the notion that they must be reduced to pets for us humans. They are just like us and deserve to have homes of their own, out in the wild."

Jack began to pace. "Ignoring the fact that there is not a single Fossil Pokémon tribe or herd to be currently found, there are issues with reintroducing these magnificent creatures to the wild. Slide 58." The image behind him changed to an open countryside filled with Poliwags. "In 1935 Poliwags were brought to the region of Zealia to help deal with an abundance of Sandshrews. The Shrews were destroying crops and Poliwhirls, the evolved form of Poliwags, are strong against them. Problems arose when the Poliwags decimated the native Tympole population, due to Poliwags having no natural predators in Zealia. It has taken nearly half a century to bring the Poliwag population under control and the ramifications of this event will not be known for years.

"Thus we find ourselves in a difficult situation: where to place these ancient Pokémon so that they might create a new ecosystem for themselves? I believe I have come up with the solution. Next slide." The image behind him changed to a large mountainous island. "Johto, like many regions, has several islands off its coast that, for one reason or another, do not have any native Pokémon save for a few flying types. I have canvassed one such island, Daisypuff Island, and believe that this is the perfect spot for the Fossil Pokémon. I'm meeting with representatives from Kalos in the hopes of working out a deal that would allow us to begin the process of turning this empty island into a preserve for Fossil Pokémon." Jack paused, a smirk forming on his lips. "My family has spent years creating such preserves in our Safari Zones and I seek to continue the Kenway Legacy. Next slide.

"The plan," Jack said, an image of a Tyrant sleeping with several Pupitars, "is to raise several different Fossil Pokémon in the company of similar modern Pokémon that share similar characteristics. This will allow these species to begin developing their own culture and nurturing patterns. Then, hopefully within the next 10 to 15 years, we can begin moving these Pokémon to Daisypuff. Once established, this island will become a destination for trainers who have proven themselves strong enough to face the Pokémon within, no different than the famous Victory Roads every region has." jack paused, looking down at his watch. "And with that I thank you all for coming. Please check out the main other events going on within the school. Olivine Point thanks you for your time."

The crowd broken into applause and within 20 seconds Jack was receiving a standing ovation. Sirius waited for the applause before heading towards the stage, giving a nod to Remus who, along with Hermione, followed them up some steps and into the backstage area. The curtain was already falling as Jack walked towards them, a grin on his face as he reached over and shook Sirius' hand; the applause was tapering down but was still quite strong.

"That was quite a performance," Sirius said with a grin.

Jack chuckled. "Just told the people what I thought; lucked out that they like my ideas." He glanced at Hermione and held out his hand. "That was a really good final question."

"It was a really good final answer," Hermione said, shaking the man's hand.

Luna instantly was at Hermione's side. "Can we call it Site B and have a Dr. Grant run it?"

Jack chuckled. "I'll be picking out the best man or woman for the job; I don't care if their name is John Jiggleheiemer-Smitt, so long as they get things taken care of." He turned to Remus and offered his hand to him. "Mr. Lupin, Sirius has told me a lot about you... I feel as if I already know you."

"You do realize Sirius most likely lied about half the stuff he said," Remus said simply, shaking Jack's hand though it was clear to Harry he wasn't as thrilled as Sirius was to be in the presence of the Father of Johto.

"Hopefully I'll have time later on to learn about the real you firsthand," Jack said before looking down at Harry. "Mr. Potter... our first meeting wasn't as I would have liked, with us meeting wounded on the field of battle." He turned and began to walk towards a side door. "Come on, you lot... we have some things to talk about."

~MC~MC~MC~

Harry couldn't help but compare Jack's office to Prof. Dumbledore's. The Hogwarts Headmaster's office was exactly what Harry would think a wizard's sanctuary to resemble. Two story tall bookshelves filled with dusty tomes, ancient globes that seemed to spin all on their own, a massive finely carved desk with a throne-like chair, all topped off with a large chandelier that had a candle for each of the known Pokémon types. When one stepped into Dumbledore's office a student could feel the power the old man had; comfort and fear would war within them, depending on the reason why they had been brought to meet with the old professor. It reflected well the man Dumbledore was and a simple glance told all just who he was.

The same was true of Jack's office, though his told a completely different story. Rather than being in a tower the Headmaster of Olivine had his office on the ground floor with a large door leading out into a large grassy clearing. Though he too had tall bookshelves they were less intimidating and better organized than the clutter Dumbledore had. Leather chairs and couches filled the space, all facing towards Jack's smaller yet equally impressive desk. The walls were decorated with maps, swords, and souvenirs from his many journeys and battles. Most startling of all were the other doors, a few of which were open; Harry could spot a kitchen, a bathroom, and even what he knew at once was Jasmine's bedroom. This wasn't merely Jack's office, it was his _**home**_. As Harry sat down in one of the seats he came to the conclusion that Jack's office reflected the dichotomy of the man: the Lord and the Tracker, the Professor and the Warrior, the Loner and the Family Man.

Jack looked at his desk for a moment before deciding to sit in a recliner. He made it two steps towards the chair before a red tongue shot out from behind one of the bookcases, tapping his shoulder. He whipped around and grabbed the tongue, glowering.

"One of these days, Oroku… one of these days you WON'T catch me off guard." He released the tongue and a Froakie emerged from his hiding spot, bowing to him and clearly laughing at his trainer. "For that you can get our guests their drinks." Froakie narrowed his eyes but Jack held firm. "No, it is your turn. Brego is with Jasmine helping her at her demonstration. Besides, you actually have hands." The blue frog Pokémon merely nodded before disappearing before their eyes.

"I see you finally got your Protean Froakie," Sirius said with a smirk.

"A gift from Gabrielle for Father's Day," Jack said. He smiled at he glanced at the others. "Gabrielle is my goddaughter. Her mothers raise Froakies and she wanted me to have one."

"I can only assume Lance got one from Fleur then?" Sirius asked.

Jack's lips pressed into a firm line. "Yes. We both realized the humor in that."

Remus' brow furrowed. "You named it after the man you killed."

"My goddaughter did… she merely liked the name and didn't realize my… history with it."

"Or Cynthia and Diantha did and wanted you to move past it," Sirius offered.

Jack slumped in his chair as Froakie reappeared, offering the group glasses of cola. Mumik walked over and Jack began to stroke his Pokémon's back. "We are not here to discuss my goddaughter or Lance Blackthorn."

"What are we here to discuss?" Harry asked.

"Ok, I admit it, no need for an intervention!" Luna declared, leaping up. "I… am the Pink Power Ranger! There, I said it!" She turned to Hermione and grabbed her hand. "And she is the Yellow Ranger! We are two teens with attitude who fight evil!"

"We aren't…" Hermione blinked. "Well, actually, that does kind of describe us…"

Jack just slowly took a glass from Froakie and drained it, debating if he should break his long held 'I don't drink' philosophy when dealing with Luna Lovegood. "Veelas," he muttered, shaking his head.

"You can be the Blue Ranger, if you want," Luna said sweetly to Jack.

"…Red Ranger or nothing," Jack said before turning to Harry, all of them ignoring Luna as she began to squeal in delight and use her dex to find low cost morphers of Ebay. "Harry, we need to discuss the events of last night and what they mean."

Remus held up a hand before Harry could speak. "Lord Kenway, I hope you aren't going to blame Harry for that attack. He had no idea-"

"Why would I blame him?" Jack asked in confusion.

"Because I tend to get blamed when crazy things happen," Harry muttered. Hermione nodded in agreement.

Jack rolled his eyes and waved his hand at Sirius. "What stories have you been telling these two that they think I am some ogre that will browbeat them for something that is clearly not their fault?" Sirius opened his mouth, humor clear in his eyes, and Jack cut him off. "Never mind, I don't want to know." He instead focused on Remus. "Mr. Lupin, do you know who Harry is?"

"Let's not play this game and you just tell me," Remus snapped. Harry looked at his guardian, wondering why he was acting the way he was. He'd only seen Remus act this rude to Lucius Malfoy.

Jack, much like Lucius, refused to back down or even bat an eye at Remus' acidic words. "Harry is Sirius' godson and Sirius is member of the Inner Circle of the Sons of Johto. This means that Harry is under my protection… and this Lord Voldemort not only dared to attack MY region… to kill MY people… attacked MY DAUGHTER and a boy under MY PROTECTION!" Jack stood up, trembling with fury. "He does not realize just what he has provoked." The Father of Johto shut his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. After several moments he spoke again, his tone now more subdued. "Mr. Potter, your dex please."

Harry glanced at Remus, who merely kept his eye on Jack, then Sirius, who quietly nodded, then Hermione who just shrugged, and then Luna… who was mumbling about if Harry would be the Green Ranger or the White Ranger. After a moment he reached into his pocket and produced his Dex.

"Do you know why many people seek the title of Pokémon League Champion, Mr. Potter?" Jack asked, removing the outer case of Harry's dex and pulling out the sim card. "The perks. Access to exclusive training areas and off limit preserves filled with rare Pokémon. The ability to purchase rare and experimental items. And, of course, this." From the pocket of his blazer Jack removed a red dex that was a bit thicker than Harry' old one and inserted the sim card. "When you are declared a Pokémon League Champion you are allowed to purchase a PC Dex. As I've earned that title in Johto, Kalos, Unova and Kanto, there was no problem with me purchasing this for you."

Hermione's eyes went wide in shock. "Lord Kenway…" Remus, for his part, only scowled more.

Jack merely shook his head, noticing Remus' clear displeasure. "There is no law stating that a non-Champion can't own a PC Dex… it just almost never happens due to the price, as even a champion can't afford to purchase more than one. Luckily I find myself absurdly wealthy nowadays and thus can afford to give this to Mr. Potter… a thank you gift for helping my daughter and a birthday gift."

Harry looked down at the dex in confusion. "Uh… thanks?"

Sirius shook his head and clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Harry, a PC Dex is a Dex that is hooked directly into your PC Boxes. You can swap Pokémon just with your Dex."

Jack took his seat and nodded, leaning forward, his fingers threaded together. "You'd have better handled the battle against Team Nocturne had you used your Zygarde. I understand why you don't carry him at all times… but this is war and you can't be without your weapons… any of them." Jack pulled out his own metallic green-blue dex as Oroku leapt onto the back of Jack's chair. "Nothing shocks your enemies like pulling out a Pokémon they never expected to see. Wars are won and lost by flexibility."

"Harry isn't fighting a war," Remus said sternly.

Jack shot him a cold stare. "Someone should tell Team Nocturne that."

"I suppose you would understand them better than most," Remus shot. Jack's eyebrow rose up and Harry slowly began to push his chair back, Luna doing the same as she felt the wave of barely restrained fury that was coming off the Father of Johto. "There is a difference between being a target and actively seeking out bloodshed."

"Yes… one leads to victory and the other leads to your region almost being defeated and taken over until a baby has to lose its parents." Jack narrowed his eyes. "Of course, it is so easy to judge when you are seated on your high horse and not the one being asked to sacrifice a damn thing. Tell me, does a small part of you disapprove of Lily Potter resorting to violence to get the job done?"

Remus leapt up, his eyes flashing as Mooney, who'd been wandering around the office since they'd entered, tensed up and readied to merge with Remus. Jack, for his part, rose to his feet, Froakie using his tongue to grab his trainer's escrima sticks and toss them to the Headmaster. Hermione instantly grabbed Luna's arm, moving her behind her.

"You two can't fight!" Luna proclaimed, stopping her foot. "Remus is the wise mentor and Jack is the Red Ranger! We have to defeat Lord Zedd!"

"We can defeat Zedd and Rita and even Rito in a moment," Jack said, gripping his weapons.

Luna blinked, shocked that someone got her reference and was able to one-up her.

Sirius held out his arms, moving to stand between the two. "ENOUGH! This is Harry's birthday and I won't have you two idiots ruin it because you can't get along!" Sirius turned to Jack and sighed. "Jack, thank you for the dex… I know Harry appreciates it."

"I do, sir," Harry said quickly.

Jack merely nodded, shooting one finally glance at Remus. "Sirius, you are welcome to use my office for as long as you need to. I need to get something to eat. As for you, Mr. Lupin… no, I would never blame Harry for what happened last night; I blame people like you who refused to finish their own battles and now leave it to others to suffer for their mistakes." Deciding to twist the knife a bit more, he finished with, "And leave people like me to clean them up. Oroku!"

Jack's Froakie nodded, teleporting him, his trainer, and Mumik from the room.

Sirius instantly whipped around and jabbed Remus in the chest with his finger. "What… the… hell?!"

"Don't start," Remus snarled.

"I will start! Jack is my friend! He saved my damn life and he has shown us nothing but kindness and the first chance you get-"

"That man is a murderer!" Remus shouted, gesturing at where Jack had been standing a few moments ago. "He killed people… for sport!"

"It was war, Remus," Sirius fired back.

"A war he could have prevented if he had bothered to talk it out with Kanto instead of being a blood thirsty-"

"STOP IT!" Harry shouted. The two adults turned and stared at him and Harry shook his head. "You're… you're upsetting Luna."

"No they aren't," Luna said in confusion. "In fact, I was-MMMMMPFFFFF!" Luna struggled as Hermione clamped her hand over her friend's mouth.

Sirius and Remus glanced at each other sheepishly. "Sorry," they both said. They both shook hands but Harry sighed; it was clear that their argument was far from finished and would wait till Harry was out of earshot.

The boy took one last look around Jack's office as they left to get lunch. He wondered, briefly, if he'd ever meet Jack again. There were many questions he had to ask him; questions on the war and Speaking and being a leader… but he guessed that now he'd never get the chance.

He had no idea how wrong he was.

~MC~MC~MC~

Author's Notes:

And for those that are curious and want me to clarify: Yes, Jack is Gabrielle's godfather and Lance Blackthorn is Fleur's godfather. It has been hinted at, and will be explained in detail later, that Jack and Lance, during their best friend years, traveled a lot and had a group of close friends. Fleur and Gabrielle's mothers were two of their closest and thus Jack and Lance are their godfathers. It… makes for some tense Father's Days when they both visit.

As for Froakie… god, this was a nightmare. I KNEW had to include Protean Froakie because he is one of my absolute FAVORITE Pokémon ever. I have mentioned before that I tend to be a Water Starter user (my starters were, in order: Bulbasaur, Cyndaquill, Mudkip, Piplup, Osawott, Froakie, and if I had a choice of the Avalon ones I would SO pick Hydroat) and my Protean Froakie is one of my main Pokémon. The problem was… who to give one too. Originally he was going to Jack, as I realized Jack didn't have a fast Pokémon on his team save for his Bravairy. But then I worried that I was making his team a bit much and decided to give it to Fleur. But THEN I decided that this didn't fix my Jack problem. After debating it I came to the conclusion of making Fleur's family Froakie breeders, with Protean Froakies being their Family Pokémon; thus Fleur can have a Greninja and Jack a Froakie. It also solves another issue: Jack's teleporting Pokémon. Jack has a Girafarig named Brego but he's a bit too big to be his teleporter. Froakie, being Protean to take on a psychic form PLUS being a ninja, solves this issue and allows him to serve as Jack's transport and stealth pokemon.

As for the Remus/Jack fight… this one was interesting. It has been interesting to see fans reactions to the Sons. Some love them and feel they are a proactive group who are what the Order should have been. Others… think they are warmongers and murderers who are no better than Voldemort's group. I've some call them Blood Knights, other Templars, and so on and so on. The one thing we can ALL agree on is that Jack and Remus have different viewpoints. Remus has the viewpoint of Dumbledore, that you fight only when pressed and show mercy so that you don't become He Who Fights Monsters. He believes that Jack has blood lust and is too quick to murder when using his words might save the day… and lives. Jack feels that Remus is a coward who prefers claiming the moral high ground even as others suffer for it and die. He feels that Remus and those like them are the reason that _"__evil will always__ triumph __because good is dumb". Jack, through the burden that was placed on him by those who fell and, as we'll see later, those who move to stand with him, feels that it is better to be aggressive and protect your 'pack'. They are two opposite viewpoints and Harry is going to find himself debating which is right… if either!_

_Zealia, for those that are wondering, is the name I came up with for a region that would be based on Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Should they actually create a region like this, I will go back and change the name. _

_As for the Power Rangers stuff, blame me for watching Linkara's "History of the Power Rangers". And now, of course, I want to read some good Power Rangers fan fics. Actually, I have an idea for one where, with the original Power Ranger team shortly before Tommy joined, Alpha Trion of Cybertron lands and the Rangers save him but are mortally injured in the process. To save them, Trion and Zordon merge the rangers with their zords, turning them into Cybertronians. They would use Hardlight avatars to interact with the world but otherwise they are several stories tall robots rangers. Kim would fear they are losing their humanity, Billy would embrace the change and work to help augment them, Trini would try and keep the peace even as she does find herself at times giving into the Cybertronian urge for violence, Zack would see this as a way to better protect the Earth, fighting with Jason who wants to help end the Civil War on Cybertron as well as save Earth. Tommy, when introduced, would be converted by Rita and her new ally… Shockwave._

_Please, someone write this… I will happily help you do it._

_Or someone point me to a really good Time Force story… Time Force is my favorite season even if I hate their zords._

_Next time we zip ahead in the timeline to Hogwarts (sorry to the few readers who I told we'd get Harry in the Safari Zone… ended up moving that to later on) where we find out what gift Sirius got Harry for his birthday, we see a bit of the new status quo for Harry and Snape now that Harry knows Snape is his uncle, and Dumbledore makes an announcement that causes me to double the cast of characters in this story._

_And you thought it was hard to keep track of Pokémon before? Ha!_


End file.
